


Heart in Light

by TheUnkindledQueen



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Fluff and Smut, but i want to make more sombra fics, this is a sequel i never planned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:29:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22805572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnkindledQueen/pseuds/TheUnkindledQueen
Summary: One day, they were going to be freed from Talon. One day, they could live together. But there's something coming that will soon affect everyone - Overwatch, Talon, Vishkar...no one is safe from it. - SombraXOC - Sequel to Heart in Shadow.
Relationships: Moira O'Deorain/Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Sombra | Olivia Colomar/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. What Comes After

**Author's Note:**

> “It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”  
> ― John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love
> 
> “Ô, Wanderess, Wanderess  
> When did you feel your  
> most euphoric kiss?  
> Was I the source  
> of your greatest bliss?”  
> ― Roman Payne

~O~

Olivia swatted the mosquito that landed on her neck.

It was hot this morning.

After arriving in Brazil, Akande deployed Gabriel, Natalie and Olivia to meet with a "connection" in Rio de Janeiro. Olivia had learned a bit about the man named Paolo Montenegro - known as "The Candyman" in the criminal underground due to his infamous new drug. It never took long to learn about these kinds of people, no matter how much they tried to hide themselves.

He called his special drug "Red Dust", which apparently enhanced strength and stamina. It was extremely addictive and sold for high profits on the market, which was often used for illegal street fights. Akande had no interest in the drug itself, but the connections Paolo had in the south. He had eyes everywhere and loathed Omnics - but he was also fond of money. His loyalty could be bought and that sort of thing was something Olivia had a hard time trusting herself. After all, there was always a higher bidder.

But the boss' orders were orders.

Paolo's image on her screen was of a thin, gaunt man with a mustache, replacement eyes and hands; he'd augmented himself with machinery that could see through walls, hands that could disable or cause pain to his enemies. Like most in the criminal world, augmentation was everything. But overall, this guy didn't really give off a threatening appearance. 

"Do you know where to find this guy?" Gabriel asked, as they wandered the streets that evening.

"Come on, Gabe," Olivia said, with a smirk on her face as she scrolled through the holographic screen in front of her, "I already found him hours ago. He has ties to the police force, and these _idiotas_ left it all out for me to see."

Gabriel scoffed softly under his breath. 

Olivia started talking again, but Gabriel had lost interest in what she was saying. He turned his attention toward a younger boy - possibly twelve - who was apparently arguing with a woman outside of a cheap restaurant.

"So, I guess you're not gonna be home until a lot later, huh?" the boy said, carrying a disappointed edge to his tone.

A man approached the woman and wrapped an arm around her waist. Both looked haggard and sickly to Gabriel, but even at this distance, he could see some kind of sickness had affected the woman - pitiful drug-addicted fool. It must have been because of The Candyman.

Withdrawl. 

He'd seen it before. 

"She's busy. Go play in the street or something, kid." the man snapped.

The woman handed the boy some money, laughing dryly at his joke, but clearly not as amused by it as he was. "Get some food, huh."

The boy rolled his eyes and took the cash before mounting his bike and riding away. He rode almost into the path of a taxi, but Gabriel immediately snatched him clear. The bike fell to the ground and the boy struggled in his grip. 

"Let me go, you creep!" he cried. 

Gabriel set him down and the boy angrily shouted after the taxi. " _A puta da tua tia!_ " he yelled, shaking his fist.

Olivia chuckled, shaking her head. "Wow, foul mouth on that kid, huh?" she mused, glancing toward Gabriel. "Look at you, Gabe. You're pulling kids out of the street. Getting soft, huh?"

"Never." Gabriel growled, lowly. "Kid has a mother drugged up on that Red Dust, I can see it in her eyes. She knows where to pick up the stuff. He might know something about that."

"Sure."

The boy moved over to retrieve his bike, glancing briefly back at the two when they walked closer to him. "Thanks for saving me, but I would have made it." he snapped. He tilted his head, studying them with interest before he looked at Gabriel. "What are you supposed to be, a circus freak or something?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Maybe."

Olivia bent down, smiling sweetly. "You're lucky that Gabe was here to help you," she crooned, "Now tell me, what's your name?"

The boy frowned suspiciously at the woman when she spoke - he could see the grafts on her head and the metal parts on her hand. The other was wearing a black coat, heavy boots and hood with a skull-like mask. All in all, they both looked strange to him.

"Nico." he said.

"Nico, we're looking for someone," Olivia said, putting on her infamous drawl, "Maybe you can help us, huh? We know about this guy, you see. There's this big tough guy on the streets who calls himself, 'The Candyman'. He runs a club and we need to get to him."

The boy - Nico's - eyes narrowed nervously. "I know him. My mom works for him."

"Ah, good." Gabriel was interested now. "Walk us to him."

"I-I don't know," Nico looked worried.

"We'll make it worth your while." Olivia said, as she flashed a credit chip and Nico's eyes widened. When he reached for it, she pulled back. "Ah, ah, not until you take us to him."

Nico pursed his lips uneasily, but nodded. 

O

The boy led the two to a nearby night club lit up with neon lights and signs. Instead of taking the front door, he walked them toward the back. He knocked on the door and shortly afterwards, a man opened it; he was wearing a dirty apron and wiping his hands on it. 

"Nico. No deliveries today," he snapped. "Go home."

"Is Mister Montenegro in today?" Nico asked, carefully. 

The man regarded the two behind him suspiciously. "No guests, Nico. You know that."

Nico looked back at Gabriel and Olivia. "They told me they were here on business." he said, "Mister Montenegro will want to see them."

The man sighed. He shook his head sympathetically. "Alright, but it's on you, kid. Not me."

Gabriel gave the man a rough grunt in acknowledgement before they walked into the door. Nico led the way into a fancy smoke-room. There were several men in suits and lavished appearances talking, playing cards and some were in the middle of necking women in their arms. 

Olivia remembered the kind of life like this. 

Los Muertos and these guys didn't seem much different in that regard. She'd know exactly how to talk to them and smooth the job over in no time. That was fine, anyway; she was bored and wanted to hurry it along.

Nico brought them to a table where a tall, thin man was sitting. He wore a brown suit, vest, and wide-brimmed fedora with a blue tie and white gloves. He had light, silver hair, and a thin brown mustache. His hands were augmented, his eyes red, shining circles. He was in the middle of a card game, it seemed; with several more well-dressed men.

"Paolo...the shipment we have at the port is being investigated," a man beside him whispered. "Not every cop is on your payroll, you know. We have rats running around."

"Ah, you worry too much, Eduardo..." Paolo sighed, his thick accent rich with pride. "I will handle it. Just go home to your lovely wife and relax."

He inclined his head when he noticed the two strangers. 

Gabriel and Olivia pulled up seats and sat down at the table. He regarded Paolo with interest. "I take it your The Candyman?"

Paolo chuckled and shuffled his cards. "Nico?" he said, glancing down at the uneasy boy. "Who have you brought to me tonight?" His features clouded somewhat will mild ill-intent. "I was clear when I told you that I do not take guests at this hour. I would not like to make an extra trip to your home."

Nico wavered with fright. "N-No, sir." he stammered. "They insisted on finding you."

"Did they, now?" Paolo lifted his gaze to them, studying the odd pair before he began dealing out the cards to his men. Even with his red optics, he seemed to stare holes into them. "What brings you to our fair city? Money? Fame? The comforts of a woman?" He gave Gabriel the once-over before smirking. "A man?"

"Business." Gabriel said, annoyed. She already didn't like his attitude. 

Immediately, guns were pointed in their faces. Olivia held up two hands with a chuckle and Gabriel's hand was already reaching into his coat. Paolo was calm and sighed, waving a hand in the air.

"Boys, put the guns way," he said, bored, "Akande told me they were coming. Let's hear what these two have to offer."

Reluctantly, the guns were put away and Paolo smiled pleasantly at Olivia and Gabriel. He lit himself a cigarette before offering them one. They refused, so he shrugged and set the pack into his coat. 

"Large ones a hundred, and small ones a fifty. May I deal you any?" he asked.

Olivia shrugged and reached into her pocket, producing some cash. "Well, what do I get for seventeen bucks?"

A laugh. "Seventeen dollars? A cab ride home, perhaps."

"I have it." Gabriel said. He pushed some more money up to him.

Paolo smiled with interest. "Ah. Now then...let's talk business."

O

"He wants his rivals gone."

"Simple."

On the stage of the rival bar, Natalie was dancing and singing; she wore a mask that matched the color of her skin, hiding her scars. Olivia's smile thinned when she noticed the sight of it and she sighed, rolling her eyes with disappointment. It seemed like Natalie was still hiding her face. She always knew that Natalie still hated the sight of herself after the attack on King's Row. But here, Natalie wanted to take part in the mission as being a distraction, dusting off her old joys of performing on stage. No one argued with it.

"These guys here are the rivals," Gabriel whispered, scanning the hall filled with several members of the gang, "Natalie's ready?"

"You know my girl," Olivia said, with a smirk and a wink in Natalie's direction - she saw it and winked back, "Always ahead of the game."

"What about Paris?"

"Ah, just distracted. You know how it is."

It had happened when Olivia had been on a mission of her own. She'd heard about how Natalie had frozen up in the face of a gun and that Gabriel had to bail her out. It had been a close call, but Natalie didn't want to talk about it since it happened and no one asked. The mission had ended in success, so that was what was important to them. But Olivia knew that Natalie still had problems dealing with those situations after the incident.

Natalie was continuing to sing, grinning widely and happily. She spun around once, grabbed the microphone and leaned down to a man who was laughing at her. Whether he was impressed or mocking her, Olivia couldn't tell quite yet. But Natalie didn't seem upset. 

"Hey! How about a spin on my lap, freak-show?" he asked, grinning.

Olivia scowled now and was ready to teach the idiot some manners; but Natalie shook a finger, removed her mask that revealed her scarred face. He reacted with a surprised sound. 

"Whoa." he said. "What's with you? Get into a fight with a buzzsaw?" 

"I have a prize for you," Natalie hissed, with glee, "I think you'll like it."

"Oh!" the man grinned now. "What kind of surprise?"

"A toy. A friend we can both play with."

He looked VERY interested to hear something like that, failing to see a shape stalking the club goers from above on a chandelier. It was a metal hound with large teeth, enormous claws and blue optics; sleek and dangerous, built with the shape of an Omnic on all fours. 

Natalie's grin widened. " _Aanval._ " she whispered - a command.

It snarled loudly at the single word before diving down and sinking its teeth into the man's throat. 

He screamed, falling backwards to the floor and Natalie laughed gleefully, clapping her hands.

Chaos ensued as the three members of Talon began to take out the club members together; Olivia took shots from her gun, Natalie cracked men across the face with her staff and Gabriel shot from his guns. Neither one could be touched by the weapons.

" _Ay_! Looks like Trap Jaw has a new chew toy!" Olivia yelled, over the shouting and gunfire. " _Nada mal!_ "

Natalie laughed with delight. "He's so cute, isn't he? Dr. O'Deorain was right to combine tech."

"You're having fun, then?" 

"ALWAYS!"

Once the entire room had been cleared and the club goers killed, Natalie slapped her thighs and the mechanical hound rushed up to her with metal panting noises imitating a living animal. She laughed and pet its head, giving it a few kisses. Gabriel watched the sight with a groan of disgust and a shake of his head.

"What good is that mutt?" he snapped.

"It's my new toy, Gabriel," Natalie reminded him, with a few more kissing sounds. "He's my latest and greatest. I had hoped testing him here would do well and it has! I think the good doctor will be pleased with the results."

Trap Jaw growled softly, rubbing against Natalie's hands. 

"Trap Jaw, come," Natalie encouraged, taking a thick coil of metal chain around its neck, "You did good. Now let's get you back to Dr. O'Deorain so that she can run some tests. _Beweeg uit._ "

Trap Jaw barked - a metallic noise - and followed her.

Gabriel tapped his COMM at his head. "All clear."

They stepped outside and found Paolo waiting for them at the doors with a smile on his face. He had several of his men at his side, armed with their guns and he was studying a coin in his hand before he nodded his approval, surveying the damage beyond Gabriel's shoulders.

"Mmm, well done! The Vipers won't be running about any further." he said. "Thanks to all of you. A deal's a deal. You have Candyman's eyes and ears."

Gabriel nodded once and the three made their way back to their ship; Natalie was carrying the chain in one hand and Paolo watched her go with a thoughtful murmur. 

"Hey! Good work, Nat," Olivia told her, with a grin and a laugh, "That was some dance up there." 

Natalie laughed a little. "At least my feet didn't swell."

It took a second before Olivia laughed louder. 

O

It smelled good in her room.

Olivia could smell Natalie cooking in the kitchen when she walked up to her; the scent of garlic, beef and vegetables. She was learning how to cook Mexican dishes and doing quite a good job of it. Natalie had changed into a button shirt and trousers after their mission. The clothes had to adapt to her limb replacements, which had been hard at first. 

"I'm making us something before I see Lethabo," Natalie told her, with a smile. "This food will be delicious, I promise you. 

" _El poder de ajo,_ " Olivia remarked, leaning over to sniff the meal cooking on the stove. 

"Yes, garlic, _my liewe._ " Natalie said, with a chuckle, "I learned a few new recipes."

Olivia didn't have any argument to that. Still, the fact that Natalie was going to visit Lethabo again bothered her a bit. She'd rather spend the evening with her. "You're gonna see him again?" she complained.

"Hm? Who?"

"Lethabo."

"Well, yes," Natalie explained, pouring a glass of whiskey. "He's helping me with my memories. They're still a little..." She rubbed her forehead with one hand, wincing. "...splintered in my head. But I have been remembering certain parts of my childhood."

Olivia didn't argue with that. At least Natalie was getting something out of it. 

She slipped her arms around Natalie's waist, kissed the back of her neck and Natalie murmured contentedly at the contact. She was cutting up a few peppers for the dish and paused only for a second to enjoy the kiss. 

"Stay here tonight," Olivia encouraged, lightly teasing her lips against Natalie's. 

Natalie made a soft note in her throat and parted her lips to accept the next kiss against them. She smiled and nodded, setting the utensils down so that she could reach up and cup Olivia's cheek. 

"Alright," she said, "Mmm, you make it hard to say no."

Olivia chuckled against her cheek, rubbing her nose against the outline of her jaw. "I know I do," she murmured, reaching over to switch the oven off with one hand. "Come on, _bonita_. We can eat later."

" _Bonita..._ " Natalie laughed at the name and her eyes flickered with sadness for a second. "It's nice but...you know that's not true." 

Olivia snorted slightly. "Hey, don't listen to what that _puto_ told you." 

"I'm not, I just..." Natalie trailed off, shut her eyes briefly before she rapidly shook her head and laughed softly. "I'm sorry, _my liewe_. I shouldn't think about that. Not when you're being so generous tonight."

The two spent the evening in bed; Oliva had certainly been generous that night, taking her from behind with her favorite toy, holding her close to her chest to feel her skin against hers.

"O-Olivia..." Natalie let out a low, throaty groan, dropping her head back against Olivia's shoulder.

Olivia grunted out a few lewd words in Spanish, pressing her mouth against Natalie's in a searing kiss that stole the breath from her lungs. One hand toyed with one of her breasts as the other slipped between the slickness of her thighs, making Natalie twitch and whimper against her lips.

She was greedy, but it was everything that Natalie wanted tonight. She sucked the skin of her neck, thrust hard enough that it pushed her close to the edge. Natalie clutched her thigh, pushing herself down on that toy, urging her along and it took only a short moment before she stifled a shout in Natalie's shoulder as she came. Panting, kissing Natalie's sweaty skin. 

"Fuck..." Olivia bit out.

Natalie wasn't far behind her and Olivia maintained her rhythm, urged her over the edge with several short thrusts and circles against her clit. 

It took them a few moments to catch their breath and Natalie collapsed into the bed, boneless and spent. Olivia chuckled, satisfied with the sight as she brushed a little lock of damp hair from Natalie's face to kiss her cheek. A soft murmur of appreciation filled her ear and Natalie opened her eyes, smiling at her.

"Mmm..."

Olivia whispered teasingly in her ear - a few more lewd words in Spanish that had Natalie laughing and wiggling her hips a little.

"Hush. Tomorrow morning, when I can't walk properly, it'll be your fault." she joked.

Olivia grinned, winking at her. "Oh, I know. And I'll love every second of it."

She reached between them, urged the toy out of Natalie; it drew a soft gasp from the other woman and she set it aside on the nearby table, kissing her shoulder a little more. Natalie shivered at the contact and Olivia's eyes fell to the scars on her back; white patches that had all but faded, but still carried reminders of what had happened.

For a second, she thought about when she found her broken and bloody beneath the rubble of the facility and quickly shook away that memory. 

It was in the past. 

It had to stay there.

She wouldn't think of it.

"I'm sweaty."

Olivia grinned against her cheek, savoring the warm dampness of their bodies for a moment. "I know. My fault."

Natalie had eventually made her way into the shower while Olivia laid in bed, still naked, scrolling through her data files. Her collection of information regarding Paolo was interesting; he was useful to Akande, but apparently, there had been more she hadn't seen right away. 

"Nat!" she called.

"I'm in the shower!" Natalie yelled from the open bathroom.

"I know just...hold up." 

Olivia stood up, walked into the bathroom and stuck her holographic screen through the curtain so that Natalie could see what had caught her interest - a feed of data that made no sense to Natalie. She blinked at the screen, then looked at Olivia. 

"What am I looking at?" she questioned.

Olivia looked at the screen, made a face. "Oh! Wait, hold on."

She swiped it with one finger, producing an image of Paolo. Natalie frowned thoughtfully, looked at Olivia for some sort of explanation.

"I did digging," Olivia explained, "See, I never trusted this guy when they asked us to rope him in. He's got eyes in the criminal underground, but he also has his hands in government secrets. He was responsible for the Red Dust Massacre led by... Omnics."

Natalie looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Yeah," Olivia smirked now, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "For a guy who hates Omnics, what's he doing running with them?" 

"I don't know. Should we tell Akande?"

"Don't know yet. We have to find more on this guy and see how we can use it to our advantage." Olivia closed the hologram with a single clench of her fist. "Now scoot over. I need a shower and you're going to use up all the hot water."

Natalie yelped when Olivia squeezed into the tub with her. "Ah! Wait, there's no room!" she cried, laughing. 

O

Trap Jaw grumbled softly, jaws snapping.

Moira's hand ran down the length of the creature's sides and she chuckled, delighted. Natalie watched her with amusement.

"So he's done well?" she questioned, "Ah! That pleases me to hear. How strong was his bite?"

"Strong." Natalie explained. "He clamped down in seconds."

"Good, good," Moira made her way around the table that Trap Jaw was lying on, retrieving a handheld scanner, "Now...what of you, Natalie?"

Natalie murmured thoughtfully. "What do you mean?"

"Dr. Martin is gone for the week," Moira continued to explain, "So I'm assuming his duties for the time being until he returns. He was going to perform your psychological evaluation tomorrow night, wasn't he?"

Natalie nodded her head, her smile disappearing somewhat. 

"Hmmm." Moira turned her attention to Natalie and held up the scanner. "Arms up."

Natalie lifted her arms up and allowed Moira to scan the replacement part. She moved the scanner to her leg, then her face and back to her metal parts once more. She made another thoughtful note, clearly fascinated with what she always looked at. Such was Dr. O'Deorain's ways and one that Natalie didn't discourage. 

"Are you still having nightmares?" Moira questioned, setting the scanner down. 

Natalie swallowed thickly, shut her eyes once before nodding. 

Moira seemed content with the response. She gestured to a nearby chair with one wave of her hand and Natalie took it, sitting down and holding her hands together. Moira sat down in a chair nearby and smiled thinly; her eyes were always focused, always fascinated with whatever she studied in front of her. Natalie was no exception. 

"Is this why Paris went poorly?" she questioned. She paused, watching Natalie shift in her seat. "I know. You were there and a guard pointed his gun at you. You froze like a deer in the headlights. Gabriel had to get you away from him - he certainly had his share of complaints about it."

Natalie knew that. She felt herself frozen when the gun had been in her face. She heard the echoes of the time when she'd been in King's Row. Heard the screams. Smelled the blood again.

"You can never change the past, Natalie," Moira reminded her, with a dismissing wave of her hand, "No matter how often others would bring it back to you, it happened and you must look to your future." She trailed off in wonder, a small note of disappointment softening her tone. "No matter the sacrifice."

Natalie nodded her head.

That was true.


	2. Memoria

~O~

That morning, Olivia didn't notice Natalie in bed.

She looked around, but didn't see the other woman and no signs of her clothes anywhere. She stood up, stretched and yawned before making her way to the bathroom to wash up. A little note was stuck to her mirror and she plucked it off, reading it out loud.

"'I'm sorry, but I was called in to work on a new project," she read, "'I made you breakfast. It's in the fridge. Enjoy. I'll see you later, I hope'."

Olivia chuckled, shook her head and set the note back on the mirror. That was just how Natalie was; always leaving little notes for her around the place and preparing her breakfast. It was definitely taking her time getting used to the domesticity of life with her. After all, she'd never had that before. It was easy to lose someone in her life, which was why she kept an emotional distance. But Natalie was there. Still there after all this time.

Yeah, she was.

Meanwhile, Natalie had been busy at work tending to a new suit of armor for a Talon Heavy Assault trooper. She murmured softly under her breath in snippets of Afrikaans. Trap Jaw was pacing back and forth, spotted an energy saw and took hold of it in his teeth, content to lay down and chew on the tool.

"Alright," she said, looking up at the Heavy Assault trooper. "I have a new design I'd like to try! I think it'll help with your charges and should make you more aerodynamic."

He grunted an acknowledgement. Then, he looked around the work-space, tilted his head. "Do we do it here?"

Natalie shook her head. "What? No! No, not here. Out. Outside." She ushered him to the training yard with a few pats to his armored back. "Now, please."

There were troopers in the middle of training and Natalie whistled toward Trap Jaw, who had been following her. She gestured to the place beside her near a table.

" _Bly._ " she said.

Trap Jaw growled and took a seat where she indicated, curling up and shutting his optics. Natalie looked satisfied and looked up at the trooper. He didn't need a command as he made his way to the field to begin the first test. She gathered a tablet and it lit up.

"Natalie!" a trooper walked up to her with a smile on his face. "How've you been? Getting any sleep?"

Natalie laughed, a hollow sound. "I've been getting a good deal of it." she told him. When she caught his funny look, she smirked, but it was false. "Between my nightmares."

"That's terrible to hear."

He looked out toward the Heavy Assault Trooper. "I hope you fix that charge of his. We've lost two already in the field due to faults. That's why we have you here."

"Don't worry. It's childsplay." Natalie assured him, "I have high hopes that this one will work."

He nodded and walked away, leaving her to her work.

A bang from a hammer froze her where she stood.

She swallowed thickly, shut her eyes and leaned against the table, counting softly to herself.

"One..." she whispered, "Two...Three..."

The shaking in her hand stopped when she heard Akande's voice behind her. She opened her eyes with a start and he was approaching, carrying a tablet in hand.

"Natalie, I have a new assignment for you," he said.

Natalie calmed her racing heart, swallowed thickly and wiped her eyes with one hand before smiling at him, a sickly feeling still on her face. She had to focus on her work and his orders, not seem weak in any way. That was what she had sworn would never happen again.

"Of course, Akande."

"You are the inventor of Talon," he explained, handing her the tablet, "I want you to oversee the business deal regarding transfer of a ship. It's armed with new sonic weaponry, but there's a new system in place that we will be utilizing. You know what to look for."

Natalie nodded and studied the tablet, switching it on and studying the details of the mission. "Of course. Does he know...?"

Akande smiled thinly, eyes darkening somewhat. "He knows he is not to have guns present while you're there." he assured her.

Natalie looked relieved by the news. Trap Jaw looked up at her, hissing softly and she ran a hand across the head of the creature. She was appreciative of the decision to keep guns away from her while she was alone and making business arrangements with whomever Akande chose.

"You will be meeting with Sanjay Korpal to make this transaction with Kim," Akande continued, "It was developed within Vishkar."

"Vishkar?"

"Yes. As you know, Sanjay is our eyes and ears of the corporation," Akande smiled a little, "He's young, eager to prove to us how great he can be of service." He eyed her up and down once. "Somewhat like you were when you first became one of us."

Natalie chuckled now, lowering her eyes. "Of course." she replied, "When do I leave?"

"Now, preferably."

"Even during my tests of the new - "

A loud crash cut her off in mid sentence. Natalie and Akande looked over toward the Talon Heavy Assault Trooper and found him lying on his side, grunting and struggling to stand back up. Akande made a thoughtful noise and Natalie sighed with disappointment.

"Too much armor on the top half," she complained.

O

Trap Jaw was present with her along with Sanjay Korpal.

Natalie tapped her fingers against the arm rest of the chair, eyeing her surroundings; a lavished room of fine, Middle Eastern decor, curtains and furniture. The breeze outside comforted Natalie as she sat close to the balcony overlooking the city below.

"You seem anxious, Natalie." Sanjay's smooth voice pricked up with amusement.

"No. Just thinking." Natalie replied.

Trap Jaw yawned.

"Your pet. It's marvelous," Sanjay glanced briefly down at Trap Jaw. "Did you build him yourself? I sense Omnic technology was used in the process?"

"I built him with Omnic technology," Natalie explained, "Dr. O'Deorain assisted with the biological tubes that keep him functioning."

"I see." Sanjay looked at her arm and leg. "And Vishkar technology works wonders for you." When he caught her uncomfortable look, he smiled reassuringly. "Why are you so ashamed by it? Many of us have augments and grafts these days. It's what we do to improve humanity."

"And unlike many of us, I didn't have much of a choice." Natalie bit out a small whisper in Afrikaans before she looked down at her hand. "They took that choice from me."

"Hm." Sanjay made a thoughtful sound. "Well, choices have always led to chaos, as we believe in Vishkar. Free will, decision... It always ends poorly until there's someone to help you. Because sometimes, people don't understand what they want in life. Vishkar helps them with that. It's what's best for humanity."

Natalie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't believe that."

"A shame."

Then, there was chatter in the hallways and both stood up from their seats, watching a man enter with a large, muscular bodyguard at his side. Trap Jaw hissed softly and Natalie made a reassuring sound before focusing on the man. He was smiling brightly, holding his arms out to shake Sanjay's hand in a warm, familiar way. Sanjay was also smiling - but it was too wide. Too forced. But still, he knew how to put on a face for others.

He played the game well. Natalie could see why Akande found him useful.

"It's good to see you, Kim!" Sanjay said, shaking his hand. "This is our inventor, Natalie Krige." He gestured to Natalie, who gave a half-smile in response. "I hope you don't mind; she will be looking over the new ship before we make the exchange."

Kim looked at Natalie with a bright smile. "Of course! Right this way."

They were led out of the room and into a vast hangar; Natalie's eyebrows went up the moment she was presented before the ship. It was an enormous stealth ship, brand new with black and silver paint. She whistled, impressed by the sight.

"Oh my." she said.

"Yes!" Kim was eager to present it to her. "The latest in sonic weaponry, stealth and speed!"

Natalie made her way to the ship, happy to begin overseeing everything involved. Sanjay was leading Kim and the bodyguard toward a table to handle the transaction. Trap Jaw had been sniffing the bodyguard curiously, grunting and hissing.

The bodyguard pushed him aside with one small hand. "Stop it." he grunted.

Trap Jaw snarled and his teeth seized a gun at the man's belt that he'd hidden behind his coat, knocking him to the floor. The bodyguard gave an angry shout, jumping to his feet and kicking Trap Jaw in the side of his head. It dropped the machine dog for only a second, giving him time to take his gun and point it at him.

"I'll kill you, you stupid mutt!" he shouted, terrified.

Trap Jaw let out a rattling snarl, baring his teeth.

But Natalie's metal hand closed around the bodyguard's wrist, twisting hard enough to pop the bones out of place. He let out a yelp of pain and was forced to fall to his knees. Natalie punched him across the face with her free hand and it dropped him flat on his back.

Kim and Sanjay immediately rushed over and watched the bodyguard lying there, hands up and pleading with her as she stood over him, eyes wide, teeth bared with several angry, shuddering breaths.

"Natalie, wait!" Kim insisted, one hand raised. "Wait, please."

Natalie took a moment to calm herself, shaking, heart racing. She evened her breath, stared down at the gun as the bodyguard was brought to his feet. She aimed it at him, set her jaw and spoke severely.

"I said..." she whispered, tone frigid. "No. Guns."

"He didn't know, Natalie," Kim reassured her, "I'm sorry."

Natalie looked at Sanjay, who smiled cautiously. She looked down at the gun, then grunted with effort as she broke it across her metal leg, splintering the weapon to bits. She handed the pieces back to the bodyguard, gave him a cheerful smile now.

"No guns. Again. Yes?" she told him, with a rough pat on his shoulders.

She turned to resume her attention to the ship as ordered. But she had to shut her eyes and calm herself with a few moments of counting in her head.

O

Olivia sat in Calaveras that evening with Lethabo.

The Omnic was holding a book of photos in his hands; the edges of the book had been scorched from fire, covered with dirt and worn paint.

He also looked better for the wear; his optics had been replaced, his body re-modified and he even wore new clothes. Life had been good to him and apparently, so had Natalie. The days they had spent with Lethabo helping her relearn parts of her life had helped them both.

"This album was buried at the site," Lethabo explained, "I was lucky to find it!"

"Yeah," Olivia replied, paging through the book. "Lucky."

She noticed a photo of Natalie - a teenager - posing with a baseball bat, one leg propped up on the broken statue of a man. She furrowed her brow with amusement and glanced at Lethabo.

"Oh. She destroyed the statue of our chief of police," he said, with a laugh. "I remember that. She asked me to take her picture because she wanted to never forget it."

Olivia looked up when Natalie entered Calaveras. She smiled, waved one hand for her to come over to the table. Natalie looked exhausted, but otherwise half-smiled and walked over to join them. Lethabo was happy to see her as well, but his concern rose when he saw the distracted look on her face.

"Natalie?" he said, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Natalie assured him. "A long job, that's all."

Olivia put an arm around her and chuckled. "Ah, _novia_ , don't worry. You're done, now I'll get Sergio to bring us something good, yeah?" She looked over her shoulder to the bar. "Sergio! _Venga!_ "

"Okay!" Sergio yelled, from beneath the counter. A muted thud, followed by a curse in Spanish.

Natalie was curious, so she rose and walked up to the counter, leaning over it to see Sergio kneeling, struggling to reach something beneath the sink. She furrowed her brow, tilted her head and he growled out another curse, straining with one hand.

" _Mierda!_ " he hissed, annoyed. " _El hijo de perra._ "

Natalie laughed. "Such language, Sergio."

He glanced up briefly at her. "I'm sorry. I just..." he said, frustration in his tone, "I dropped my favorite shot glass back here and I can't reach it."

"Here, let me help you."

He sighed, sat up and scooted away as Natalie wandered around the counter. She knelt down, slid onto her side and peered under the sink. Grunting, she strained as she reached for the object in question and pulled it from the floor. It was an old, metal and dusty shot glass. Natalie studied it for a moment before handing it to Sergio. He was happy to have it back, it seemed.

"Thank you, Natalie," he said, with a bright smile, "This was a gift from my daughter. I'd be so upset if I ever lost it."

"I understand."

"I lost her in the Omnic Crisis," Sergio told her, with a sad smile. He glanced briefly toward Lethabo and sighed through his nose. "I didn't hold it against them, you know, when it had happened. It did take time, but I forgave them and moved on."

Natalie's smile disappeared somewhat, her eyes clouding in thought. She shook her head, returned to her spot at the table and Lethabo looked at her.

"Natalie, I found something that I think will definitely help you with your memories," he told her, "This photo album was at the ruins of our old home."

He pushed it toward her and Natalie smiled a little, paging through it. She stopped at a picture of herself, hugging Lethabo and she chuckled, tapping the part of the photo with her face with one hand.

Her smile disappeared again.

"Your mother took that when you received your first job," Lethabo explained, "I'd taken you there. You were happy. You'd considered me a..." He trailed off, hesitating to finish the sentence.

"A what?" Natalie asked, frowning at him.

"A...well," Lethabo laughed uncertainly. "A father."

Olivia raised her eyebrows and looked at Natalie, expecting her to laugh at the thought. But Natalie didn't. She just smiled warmly at Lethabo and exhaled softly.

"I know. I understand my real father was not a man," she replied, "I remember that he left us to the mercy of the Omnics. But you were there. You were always there, helping me. Raising me as a father should and for that, I am grateful."

Lethabo chuckled. "Of course. And I am always grateful for that day you saved my life."

Sergio walked up to their table, setting down drinks in front of them. Natalie looked down at her drink - a strong glass of whiskey and ran her fingertip around the rim as she continued to look at the photos in the album. She stopped at a picture of Sasha and her features softened with a smile of anguish.

O

Olivia couldn't help but remember what life was like before.

She was watching the beach below, to the various tourists and locals enjoying themselves in the sand and she remembered how it had been when she was with Los Muertos; they caused chaos in their wake and it had been fun for a while. That was how they'd passed the time in the dark when Mexico had been without power for months. They'd called themselves "revolutionaries", but Olivia always knew better.

Trap Jaw grunted at her side.

Olivia looked down at the robotic hound and chuckled. "Hey, what do you want, _perro?_ "

The metal animal growled softly and took a spot beside her, lounging, content. Olivia made her way indoors and found Natalie working on undressing herself at the side of the bed. She had her back to her and Olivia saw the patches of scars, reminded of the incident once more.

_"NAT! FUCK. NAT!"_

_"Careful. This place could go at any second."_

_"Nat!"_

Natalie rubbed her shoulder and Olivia sighed, taking a seat behind her and reaching around, wrapping her arms around her waist with a small noise. Natalie murmured her approval at the contact and smiled.

"Hey, do you think I could stay here with you tonight?" Natalie asked her.

Olivia gave her a laugh. "Really? You're asking me that?"

Natalie giggled and lowered her eyes. "Of course. I suppose that was a little silly to ask, huh?"

At her side was the photo album and Olivia picked it up to page through it herself. She glanced over at Natalie, watched as the woman wiped down her metal leg with a cloth before noticing an interesting paper taped into the photo album. She furrowed her brow curiously and read it.

"You applied to Overwatch." Olivia said.

Natalie stopped wiping her leg. She chuckled and her tone was colder now. "Yes. But I never made it."

"Why?"

"I wasn't qualified." Natalie explained, her voice still darker than it had been before. "They didn't want an 'uneducated inventor with no prior experience' among them." She sighed now and just looked disappointed. "I wonder what life would have been like if I had been a member of Overwatch."

Olivia chuckled. "You wouldn't have met me, duh."

"That would be terrible." Natalie agreed, laughing gently and kissing her cheek. "But I don't know if that's entirely true. You do have your ways, after all."

Olivia took pride in that compliment, but only because it was from Natalie. Still, she was curious about Natalie's application to Overwatch. Maybe she would look further into it.

And that evening, she did; while Natalie slept in the bed, she was at her console, scrolling through data and information as easily as it was to breathe. She came across a revised statement and scoffed, shaking her head with disappointment as she worked through checking the previous one.

"Revision? Please," she muttered, "You think it's that easy to hide it?"

She only needed to rewrite a few things in the file and found the original manuscript. The more she read, the more she began to feel a bad taste in her mouth. She dared a look toward a sleeping Natalie and continued to research the history of De Aar.

It had originally been a place of terrorism, drug and weapon trade. The reason Natalie had been refused entry into Overwatch.

Signed by Ana Amari.

Her father had participated in many illegal trades to earn money, but had kept it under the guise of a good, paying job before the Omnics attacked the town. She was being punished for him. And while Olivia, in part, had been happy to see Natalie with them and her; she hadn't deserved that.

Did she know?

Did she want to know?

Olivia murmured thoughtfully, rose and walked out of the room, stepping outside to talk with an old friend. She brought up a screen and Baptiste's face appeared into view. He smiled when he saw her and she laughed, noticing the background of his hiding space; complete clutter.

"You hiding out in a closet, _mijo?_ " she asked.

" _No. I'm underground,_ " Baptiste told her. " _Have you heard from Mauga? He's heading to Venice soon and I'm taking care of these sick people._ "

"How'd they get sick?"

" _They've been hopped up on this drug_ ," Baptiste explained, with a frown. " _And they're going through withdrawal. It's making them drowsy and coughing up blood._ "

"Drug..." Olivia frowned thoughtfully. "Red Dust?"

Baptiste nodded his head. " _Yeah._ " he said, realization lighting his features. " _Do you know about - Of course you do. You have your ways._ "

"I do," Olivia said, "But you have to stay low. Don't let them know you're there and I'll give you a heads up if something changes."

Baptiste had turned his back on Talon; he'd gotten wise to their ways and wanted to do better for others. Olivia could understand that, to an extent. After all, she wasn't loyal to Talon and had no problem turning her back on them if it benefited her. But they had the means and the money to get her where she needed to go; so for the time being, she would use them as she saw fit.

But then, she began to wonder about Natalie's place - it was a fleeting thought that came quickly and out of nowhere. She had not thought about what would happen if Natalie was challenged with this idea. Would she remain loyal to Talon if the time came to leave it? After all, Akande had given her a chance when no one else would.

Would she follow Olivia?


	3. How's the World Treating You?

~O~

Olivia was in the kitchen that early morning - it was four A.M. and she'd been washing her face in the bathroom. Natalie had been sleeping the entire time and didn't wake when she moved. That was probably for the best, really. Olivia wasn't blind to how the other woman had been doing at night. She knew that Natalie had nightmares she was dealing with.

A small yawn from out in the room made Olivia stick her head out of the bathroom and grin when she saw Natalie sitting up in bed. The other woman stretched and looked around before she felt Olivia's eyes on her. A tired smile lit her face and she waved one hand.

"Good morning," Natalie said.

"Hey, good morning to you, too." Olivia walked out of the bathroom. "Sleep okay?"

Natalie made a small gesture with her hand, murmuring with discontent - she'd slept okay. It wasn't a lie, either. Olivia had watched her a few times while she worked at her computers; a few turns, some mumbling and that was what happened throughout the night.

"I have an idea," Olivia told her, taking a seat beside the other woman. "You wanna go somewhere?"

Natalie smiled a little and seemed to like the idea. "What'd you have in mind?"

"They have a festival there for the Battle of Puebla." Olivia said, raising her hand and producing a hologram of the event in question. "I have to pick up something there for the boss - like, this data chip from the local cartel, but we can spend the rest of the night there. You and me."

Natalie frowned, concerned. "Won't that be dangerous for you?"

"Nah. They're small time. Also, they have the worst security programs in the wold. I might as well just walk in there and take it."

Natalie still seemed unsure, but didn't argue with her and decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

When they arrived, Natalie watched Olivia as they crept up behind the decrepit building. She made a face, peering up at the windows now.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You don't want any help?"

Olivia took her chin in one hand and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Nope. I can handle it. Just a little kiss for good luck, yeah?" Natalie smiled a little and Olivia tapped her watch with one finger. "Time me."

"What? Why?"

"Come on!" Olivia said, grinning. "Humor me, Nat."

Natalie rolled her eyes with amusement, shook her head and looked down at her wrist. She twisted a dial and looked at Olivia now.

"And...counting down." she told her.

Olivia waved her hand and vanished in a swirl of purple light. Natalie sat there, legs crossed and humming to herself while she waited for Olivia to finish her task. She heard the sounds of chatter within, followed by a few sharp grunts of pain before she glanced up when Olivia reappeared, holding the data chip in her hand with a proud smile on her face. Natalie stopped the timer on her watch and looked down, smiling now.

"Wow! Almost five minutes!" she said, whistling her approval.

Olivia laughed and put the chip in her pocket. "I told ya', I am good at what I do."

The two looked up at the sounds of drums and noticed colorful banners on display passing over the buildings. Natalie's features lit up and Olivia smirked at her, putting her arm around her waist.

"Hey, come on," she told her, "The boss can wait a while."

Natalie agreed with that, but her mind was wandering with ideas for new inventions until they arrived out into the streets; her eyes widened with awe at the parades, brightly colored banners, confetti and statues of soldiers on display. Crowds of people were engaging in the festivities, laughing and eating food. It all smelled so good and she immediately forgot work.

"It's beautiful," she said, eyeing the decorations.

Natalie rarely took notice to these things anymore, but it was nice to be out here forgetting everything with Olivia. The other woman was good at keeping her mind away from her thoughts.

O

Natalie was eating fried ice cream and Olivia was enjoying a few churros. The two women watched the people around them and Olivia glanced briefly at Natalie. So far, she was happy to see that Natalie seemed to relax and enjoy herself; she knew the other woman had a lot on her mind, but never liked to push too much. After all, that was still something she had to learn to do. 

"So, you good, Nat?" she asked. "Having fun?"

Natalie nodded, mumbling through mouthfuls of ice cream. "What happened here?" she questioned, after swallowing, "The Battle of Puebla?"

Olivia didn't need to research everything to know. "Omnics came here like they did everywhere else during the Crisis," she explained, with a wave of her hand, "But you had fourteen Mexican soldiers who stayed to fight. They were able to push back the Omnics on their own. It took almost a month to do it, but they did it. The Fourteen were honored on this day."

"Oh." Natalie looked amazed to hear it.

She looked toward a statue near her of a man standing tall and proud; he clearly had various metal replacements done, all the same as her.

Then, Olivia's eyes widened when she spotted someone in the crowds. "Hey, hey, Nat. Get up a sec."

Natalie stood up and frowned at her. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a face I never thought I'd see again."

Natalie looked up at the sight of an older woman approaching them; she was wearing a dress made up of flowers, a pair of sunglasses and had short grey hair. One of her hands had been replaced with metal. Olivia certainly wasn't on guard as the older woman walked up - in fact, she looked as if she was ready to receive a scolding, as if she'd been a long-lost mother. Natalie anticipated a problem, but even so, she was a little surprised when Olivia was focused harshly by her.

"Olivia Colomar," she hissed angrily, when she approached them. "You're here in town and you didn't even come find me?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, thinned her lips before looking at her, bored. "I knew I didn't have you because you were just gonna butt in anyway."

Natalie laughed a little. "Who is this?"

"Norma Castellanos." the older woman spoke first, offering Natalie her hand - the metal one. Her smile was warm and friendly and put Natalie at ease a little. "Nice to meet you, _mija_. I see you've become Olivia's newest love interest, huh?"

Olivia groaned with dismay. "UGH! _Cállate!_ "

Natalie giggled at the look on her face and Norma shrugged with a smirk. "What? I just want to know what you've been up to and who this little lady is in your life."

"I'm Natalie Krige," Natalie told her.

Norma shook Natalie's hand, then paused with a curious sound and looked down at the replacement Natalie had as well. Olivia followed the gesture, furrowing her brow.

"Ah, a little accident with this one," Norma murmured, tilting her head as she studied the replacement. "Oh...it was very bad."

Natalie's smile lightly vanished.

Olivia let out a laugh. " _Brujería._ "

"It's not witchcraft, Olivia." Norma reprimanded, "You know what I did when the orphanage burned down. Some people went to the church, I took to giving people faith in other ways."

Natalie tilted her head curiously now. "So you're a fortune teller of some kind? I thought that sort of practice died out decades ago."

"No, not for me." Norma explained. She looked up, gave Natalie's shoulder a light pat. "Come on. Let's go somewhere quiet."

O

The trailer was strangely cozy.

Natalie and Olivia had taken a seat on the soft couch, eyeing the various trinkets, the colorful curtains and books around them. Norma had prepared a few snacks for the two to eat and tea. Olivia looked a little out of sorts being there in front of the older woman.

"Well, what have you been up to, Olivia?" Norma asked, with a smile; she had her back to them as she removed her sunglasses and set them down. "Still causing mischief?"

"Always." Olivia joked, laughing.

When Norma turned, Natalie was astonished to see that she had replacement eyes; light blue optics fitted into a metal plate across her face. It made her unconsciously touch her own scars and Norma caught the gesture. She laughed softly, took a seat across from them.

"Yes, this was an accident as well," she explained, "The fire took my hand," She held up her hand, "And blinded me as I tried pulling those kids from the building."

"What started the fire?" Natalie asked.

Norma sighed. " _No sé._ "

She straightened where she sat, looked at Natalie for a moment. Taking both hands into hers, she smiled warmly at the other woman.

"It took me a long time to be at peace with these changes," she said, "It always takes time."

Natalie swallowed thickly, lowering her eyes.

"Just remember, _mija..._ " Norma continued, "These changes do not define you. They don't make you ugly, evil...nothing of the sort."

Olivia's smile disappeared as she watched Natalie shift in her seat, uncomfortable.

"I know you have questions, too," Norma told her, with a gentle smile, "My tarot cards can help."

Natalie laughed, shaking her head. "I don't mean disrespect, Norma," she said, "You've been very nice to me, but... how are cards going to offer comfort?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, crossed her legs and leaned back. "They can't." she mumbled, in a singsong tone.

Norma swatted her knee, murmuring in Spanish that had Olivia shaking her head and muttering in Spanish right back. Natalie was still learning the language, so she was unfamiliar with what was being said. But it ended with Norma rising and walking toward a table. She was gathering tarot cards in her hand and gestured for Natalie to take a seat across from her.

Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt.

She rose, took a seat across from Norma and watched her shuffle the cards into three piles in front of her. "So...how does this work?" she asked.

"As you look into the cards, the cards look into you," Norma explained. "The cards tell me you feel doubt about something."

Natalie glanced toward Olivia, then to her. "Maybe." she admitted. "My friend, the Omnic Lethabo. I'm getting help from him with my memories. But I'm not sure what it would mean in the future."

Norma nodded, reached for one card on the far right pile. She laid it out in front of Natalie, revealing it to be The Hanged Man. Natalie frowned thoughtfully and Norma looked at her.

"You've endured a great loss within yourself," she explained, "The reversed Hanged Man tells me you are stalling on a decision or action. This Lethabo is helping you, but you feel doubt about it. You're unsure if it'll be good or bad."

Natalie smiled hesitantly. Olivia frowned at her expression. She had no idea.

Norma held up another card from the far left pile and laid it out before Natalie. It was Justice, but also reversed. Norma furrowed her brow thoughtfully and the reaction made Natalie curious.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Hmm..." Norma pondered, "This card is reversed. Perhaps inside, you know you've done something wrong. Maybe it's something you've thought was right. You don't want this Lethabo to know. Whichever you choose, you will need to live with the consequences on your conscience, so go with what feels right for you."

Natalie's gaze hardened now and her lips pursed. She knew she did what she wanted to do; it was justice to give people the same treatment they'd treated her and others. The way they'd toyed with her was how she toyed with them. There was no guilt in that.

Norma reached for the last card in the middle, studied it and her features turned grave. She looked up at Natalie and hesitated, which was strange. Natalie shrugged her shoulders.

"Well?" she said. "What card is that?"

Norma smiled at her and tucked the card into her pocket now. "Perhaps Olivia is right. This may prove to give you more questions than answers."

Natalie sighed, rubbed her face with two hands. Then, her COMM went off and she rose, looking at Olivia briefly before gesturing to her ear.

"This is Akande. I have to take it." she told her.

"Yeah, sure." Olivia said, nodding.

Natalie walked out of the trailer and Olivia stood up, watching her from the window. Norma did the same and the two observed Natalie talking on her COMM, pacing back and forth.

"It's nice seeing you again, Olivia," Norma told her, "You know, your gang still asks about you. I feed them now and again when they come up here to see me." She looked at Olivia, who suddenly seemed distracted. "You care about her, don't you?"

Olivia shifted a little, embarrassed by that. "Yeah, well, you know..."

Norma chuckled warmly. "You always had a hard time connecting with others." she said. "All those days spent getting you out of fights, mischief... it's always the same and it never changes. But Natalie and you? I sense a closeness that others never had with you."

Olivia murmured, her cheeks warmer.

Then, she looked down at Norma's hand that still held the card she refused to show Natalie. "So what's the card?" she asked.

"I thought you didn't believe in it."

"I don't but...had to be interesting if you didn't show her."

Norma hesitated before handing the card to Olivia. She studied it for a moment.

Death.

"I don't ask you to believe in me, _mija,_ " Norma continued, her tone careful as she watched Natalie, "But I ask that you believe in her. And keep an eye on this...Lethabo. For Natalie's sake. The cards had shown me his path. It doesn't end well for him. I hope to God you can change that."

Olivia frowned now. "Yeah, you got it."

O

Natalie was presenting her newest inventions to Talon that morning. She held up a small, circular device before Akande and several others.

"I give you..." She pressed a button and a Heavy Talon Trooper stepped out, wearing lighter armor than anything anyone had ever seen. "The new and improved Heavy Talon Trooper armor."

A few curious sounds from those watching.

"He comes with a built-in cannon that is undetectable by x-ray. Discreet." she continued to explain, "Titanium recharger, 3,000-round clip, with bursts of 3 to 300."

At her single gesture, the trooper aimed his hand and a cannon folded outward, forming over his hand. It hummed with energy, collecting a ball of plasma energy that he unleashed toward two human-shaped targets. It obliterated them in seconds. He turned his focus to a truck and once more, powered up the cannon and took a shot that melted the vehicle down into nothing more than glowing metal.

"Ahhh," Akande smiled a little, "Destructive."

"And then - "

Natalie cut herself off when she spotted a giant, broad-shouldered man covered in tattoos approaching the scene; he was eating something from a bag, dressed like a tourist. Wearing a tropical shirt and a pair of sunglasses, and his dark hair had a streak of white running through it.

He was with another man - a smaller one with a set of glasses over his face; a blue and black business suit, a briefcase in hand. They were stark contrasts to each other.

"...you gotta try these!" he said, between mouthfuls.

Akande turned to face the larger man. "Mauga." he said. "You're late."

The man - Mauga nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. Traffic."

He looked up and noticed the Heavy Trooper, smiling broadly. "Hey! Bruno!" he said. "What are you up to? I heard we're getting new gear." He chewed another handful of the snack he'd been eating. "Where is she, anyway? This...uh...Toymaker?"

The trooper flicked his head toward Natalie and Mauga looked down at the woman, grinning toothily. The air around them had grown uncomfortable, but Natalie studied him calmly. She had never seen this man before and had never known someone to be overly friendly in Talon like this.

"You're her?" he asked.

"Yes, Natalie Krige." Natalie replied.

"She's the one who made those turrets, remember?" the man at Mauga's side reminded him. "And the upgrade to your cannons."

Mauga laughed in amusement and surprise, eyeing Natalie up and down. "No. Shit."

Natalie cracked a small smile.

"So this, uh..." Mauga gestured to his own face, "That some kind of thing you're going for? Because if it is - "

"No," Natalie interrupted, a little put off by the question. "It's just an accident I had and I know it looks terrible. But I've learned to live with it."

"Are you KIDDING?" Mauga exclaimed, putting one large, rough hand on her shoulder. His smile was wide, bright and friendly. "You look awesome!"

Natalie stared up at him with wide eyes, startled by his forwardness and delight. "Really?"

"Hey, buddy, I always mean what I say."

Mauga towered over almost everyone there, and he talked fast and loose. It seemed like he had a way of drawing strangers in like they were old friends. Like they'd know each other for a long time. Natalie knew his sort, felt cautious, but also appreciated the comment either way.

"Come on, come on, show me what you got, Toymaker!" Mauga leaned down in a crouch. "Hit me right here with that arm of yours. Let's see if you can knock me down like you flipped that truck."

Natalie laughed and noticed a few bored grimaces from the others. She looked at Mauga skeptically, but still amused. "I didn't flip a truck. My arm doesn't have that kind of strength."

Magua grinned, beating his chest with one fist.

Natalie laughed now, clenched her metal fingers tightly. She drew back her fist and punched him square in the chest; Mauga let out a wet grunt when her fist contact him and the punch inched him only slightly back. But he let out a loud whoop, stood up completely and laughed with mirth.

"I like you, buddy!" he said, patting her on the back with one large hand.

Natalie laughed again, unsure of how to handle that.

O

Natalie hadn't expected Mauga to volunteer for the test, but everyone around her explained that he was always eager for this sort of thing; he enjoyed the fight, the thrill of it and anything that came with it. But he also wanted to be the first to have the new armor Natalie promised.

The drones buzzed around the ruins of the abandoned town and Mauga charged forward in his armor, howling as he took each and every one of them out with his cannons.

Natalie was standing a few good yards away with two of her assistants. She spoke into a COMM, to Mauga. "I have turrets armed and ready for you, Mauga. Now, a warning, I've made a few...improvements to the design. So maybe they will pose a challenge for someone like you."

Mauga looked up, laughing when he saw a shape leap into the air like a spider; metal legs, slender body, sonic weapon aimed right for him. It charged up with a loud hum before unleashing a thunderous, ear-piercing wave of sound, knocking him back. Immediately, servos in his armor bolted him to the ground, steadying him in place. He laughed breathlessly, looking down.

"Nice!" he hissed.

Natalie observed the data of his combat on her tablet; so far, she was impressed with what she was watching.

While she was working, Olivia had been spending time at her desk at home, researching Paolo and information regarding his criminal enterprise. Like all of them, he was easy to look for; but her mind was focused on seeing Norma again, the warning she'd given her about Lethabo.

Olivia wasn't blind to things like that - losing those close in the event that people would know who you were. It was why she kept herself in the shadows.

Her mind went back to Norma.

_Olivia wasn't afraid._

_She was eight years old, running the streets of Dorado, stealing candy during Día de las Brujas. She licked her lips, spraying on a statue of La Muerta._

_"Olivia!" Norma yelled, from the doorway of the orphanage. "Por favor entra en la casa!"_

_Olivia yelled over her shoulder. "Una segunda!"_

_"Ahora!" Norma insisted, hand on her hip._

_Olivia rolled her eyes with a bored noise and walked over to the woman at the door. Norma looked down at her, indicated the bag of candy in her hands._

_"¿De dónde sacaste eso?"_

_Olivia looked down at it, then smiled sweetly up at her. "De las casas."_

_"Las otras chicas están perdiendo sus maletas," Norma said, skeptically._

_Olivia shrugged innocently and Norma rolled her eyes now, ushering her inside. Olivia made her way down the small hallway, down the stairs where the bunk-beds were kept. She was alone and took a seat at her bed in the far corner, kicking off her shoes. Norma knelt down with a sigh._

_"¿Qué voy a hacer contigo?" she said, shaking her head. "Eres demasiado lista para estar haciendo estas cosas..."_

_Olivia shrugged nonchalantly, removing a lolipop from her bag. She unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. "Porque soy más lista."_

_"No haces amigas robando dulces, niña."_

_Olivia frowned at her. "No necesito amigas."_

_"Todas lo hacen." Norma said, with a gentle pat to her head. She looked sad, but quickly erased it and gestured to the candy before taking it._

_"No más dulces hasta que limpies esa estatua."_

_Olivia groaned in protest and slumbed back in her bed. "Eres la vieja más mala de México."_

_Norma chuckled, carrying the bag in her arms as she walked away. "Lo hago por amor, niña."_

Olivia stared at her computer impassively as the memory came and went like lightning. Norma had always been a busybody; butting her nose into her business, stopping her at every which way. But she'd also cared and fed them, made sure they had good clothes to wear and beds to sleep.

She was one of the better ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song "L.O.V.E." by Frank Sinatra inspired scenes of this chapter.


	4. No Creo

~O~

The trooper was lying in bed, shaking and holding his arms.

Moira and Martin stared down at him, studying the puffy, swollen eyes; the bloodshot way the wandered around the room, frantic and frightened. He was hyperventilating, barely acknowledging Martin when he scanned him with a device on his wrist.

"I've been gone a week and this happens," he said, with a sigh.

"Unfortunate. He's going through withdrawal." Moira replied, with a disappointed sound.

Martin nodded his head, leaning down to study the trooper. "What did you take?" he asked. When the trooper hesitated, he frowned deeply. "Tell me, son. What drug. Did you. Take?"

"R-Red Dust..."

Martin furrowed his brow and looked at Moira, who seemed bored by the response, as if she'd expected it. She shook her head with disappointment and rose, walking over to her computer. Martin followed her and wanted answers for the questions he had about this drug.

"What is Red Dust?" he asked. "And why am I just now hearing about it?"

"Red Dust is a rising product in the criminal underground," Moira explained, without pause, "Developed by our very own Paolo Montenegro. He's known as The Candyman - ugh, abhorrent name, I know - and has it distributed all across South America. But...it seems as if he's taken to sell to Talon."

Martin frowned now. "Akande will not approve of this."

"No, he most certainly will not."

Much later, Paolo was brought to Venice by Akande. He was smiling and offered his hand to shake, but Akande did not return it. He was calm, but his eyes were darker; a warning on his face that everyone else around them certainly noticed.

"I understand you've been selling Red Dust to my employees," Akande said.

Paolo chuckled and nodded. "Well, yes!" he said, "I never turn down a customer."

"Well, you're going to have to learn."

Paolo looked confused for a second, but laughed and shook his head. "I'm sorry? If I am to make money, I should - "

Akande slowly walked toward him, glaring down at the man. "I didn't make myself clear," he said, softly, but with every word, a weight stamped down. "Do not. Sell. To my men. Again. Is that understood? Even when they beg for it. Even when they have all the money in their hands. You will not sell to them."

Paolo read his expression for a moment before he smiled thinly. He didn't appreciate it, but knew what fights to start and finish. "I understand, Akande. No more drugs sold to Talon."

Akande was satisfied with that answer and nodded once before he turned to deal with other matters.

Paolo watched him go and his smile disappeared somewhat.

No, he didn't like it.

O

He was buried in the sand up to his head, groaning.

Olivia knew the guy as Marcus from her research; he was leading a group too close to Talon's territory and had to be questioned. The reason she'd been there was the fact that he'd known about certain trade in King's Row for Omnic parts. The reason it had interested her was Paolo had been sighted in the city. Ever since they'd brought him onto the payroll, she'd wondered what he was up to.

She sat, cross-legged in front of him with a smile before producing her holographic images of meeting spots, security videos of him talking with Paolo. There was even information about the Red Dust. Olivia didn't trust Paolo and normally, she'd avoid him if he didn't interfere with her plans. But the knowledge she had about the Omnics just toyed with her. She had to know.

"I'm not going to kill you," Olivia told him, "Just tell me everything you know about Paolo."

"He wants his drug to go global, I think," Marcus explained, grunting and laying there in the sand with a helpless whimper, "He's also been meeting with a lot of guys. I don't know what the plans he has are because he keeps it on the low. He won't tell me, but I go on runs sometimes. That's all I know! I swear!"

Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but her COMM was buzzing and she stood up, tapping it and walking away a little to speak. Marcus watched her in confusion and unease.

"Nat, yeah..." she said. "Oh! Well, just order me the soup...Nah, I always get the wrong thing," Olivia made a face. "They don't have the roll? Okay, I'm almost done I'll meet you back home when you're done your job." She glanced over at Marcus and laughed a little. "No, this _pendejo's_ telling me everything."

Marcus looked horrified when she glanced back for a second and winked at him.

"...Almost done here, then I'll be back...Yeah, I will." Olivia snickered and dared another glance at Marcus. "Maybe on the next one. I'd like to see that. Okay. See ya'."

She turned to Marcus with a smile now. "Now, where were we?"

Meanwhile, Natalie was strolling through the storage facility that housed a few machines she needed. She hummed as she scrolled over each labeled container and Trap Jaw walked alongside her. She laughed and glanced down at the metal hound.

"It's like Christmas shopping, isn't it, Trap Jaw?" she said.

The creature gave a small hiss in response.

Natalie continued to hum and skip across the floor with her machine at her side. She began to sing an old South African folk song to herself.

_"Suikerbossie ek wil jou hê_

_Suikerbossie ek wil jou hê_

_Suikerbossie ek wil jou hê_

_Wat sal jou mama daarvan sê_

_Dan loop ons so onder deur die maan_

_Dan loop ons so onder deur die maan_

_Dan loop ons so onder deur die maan_

_Ek en my suikerbossie saam."_

The sound of chatter froze her in place and Trap Jaw suddenly snarled, arching his back. Natalie grinned widely down at him. Just as she had expected.

"So they want to play with us, eh?" she said.

The man was Pinto - a former Overwatch agent who was trying to do right by the world. Natalie had known - and been warned by Olivia that some of them were still trying to fight the good fight even after the Petras Act was enacted by the government. Natalie didn't care too much for it as it wasn't really important to her.

But Pinto had a few other members tracking her here? Interesting.

O

Pinto - a small, middle-aged man was making his way into the facility, armed with a pulse rifle and communicating with his comrades over his COMM system. He was determined, but anxious for what awaited him in the facility. He'd heard what the Toymaker was capable of.

"The Talon inventor is here," he whispered, "I've tracked her into this room. I'm going to lead her right to you guys. Stay posted."

He looked up at the sound of laughter and aimed his rifle toward Natalie, who strolled toward him, clapping her hands.

"Looking for someone?" she asked.

"Toymaker, right?" Pinto aimed his rifle at her chest. "You're coming with me."

Natalie sighed, shaking her head. "Overwatch agents still operating, even after the Petras Act. Vigilantes running around still playing soldier." She chuckled. "Don't worry. I like to play games, too."

"No more games!" Pinto shouted, "Come now or I drop you where you stand!"

Natalie grinned. "I don't think so."

Behind her, Trap Jaw lunged with a loud, thunderous roar, slamming into Pinto and knocking him to the floor. He screamed, dropping his rifle from the force of it; the hound tore into his calf, shredding his leg through his boot and viciously twisting. Natalie calmly bent down and picked up the rifle, laid it against her shoulder and smiled.

"Trap Jaw, I know I promised you a new toy, but this one can't die just yet," she told him.

Trap Jaw released Pinto, who laid there, clutching his leg with a whimper of pain. Natalie bent down, patting his cheek with one hand.

"You just came in here alone?" she asked, "What about your friends waiting for me outside?"

Pinto laughed weakly, voice strained. "Yeah, they're all outside armed to the teeth!" he hissed, "You won't make it two feet before they open fire on you!"

"Hm." Natalie pretended to think. "Well, I suppose they won't want to play with my toys I have surrounding them, do they? _Jy dink?_ "

Pinto's eyes widened in horror. He rapidly shook his head. "No-No, you..." he gasped. "We've checked the entire perimeter. There's no way - "

"I suppose no one told you I was developing a cloaking package undetectable to any scanners." Natalie smiled brightly before snapping her fingers. Her eyes widened with delight, leaning closer to his face with an over-exaggerated, broad smile. "Surprise!"

Outside the facility, several turrets unveiled themselves, positioned in the trees and poised right above the other agents crouched to kill Natalie. Their guns powered up.

Pinto shut his eyes tightly, listening to the horrific sounds of gunfire, the screams of his comrades all the while Natalie calmly stood there, studying her metal hand. She made a small note of amusement before her smile disappeared and she looked at Pinto with coldness now.

"Never will you fool me again," she promised.

Finally, she raised the butt of the gun and brought it down on his head.

O

Natalie had gone for a walk after her mission.

Once she ordered the takeout, she made her way to Olivia's home and waited for the other woman to return from her own mission. The food smelled nice - something with rice for Olivia and noodles for her. Eggrolls. Fish. It was simple and Natalie didn't feel like cooking.

She sat down at the edge of the bed, noticed Arturito laying there, along with a magazine for computer systems. Olivia must have been looking through it and dog-tagged a few pages. She picked it up absently, paged through it before pausing when a note written on it caught her attention. It was an ad for a muti-tool that could be applied to her metal hand. It was a new design fresh off the market.

_"Get this for Nat. Latest design."_

Natalie chuckled warmly and shook her head, setting the magazine aside. She would have to pretend to be surprised, of course.

The door opened and Natalie looked up before rising, noticing Olivia walking inside. The other woman smiled when she saw her.

"Hey," she said. "Have fun out there?"

Natalie laughed and nodded. "I was attacked by ex Overwatch agents."

She didn't expect Olivia to look surprised as she had. She turned, faced Natalie completely. "Huh? Overwatch? I thought Gabe was working on them."

"Well, he must have missed a few."

"Or he really IS getting soft."

Natalie made a face. She never imagined Gabriel Reyes getting soft. He was hard, frightening to most and consumed everything in his path. All that remained of his victims were lifeless husks. She knew that nothing about that would ever change.

"And you handled it?" Olivia questioned, looking at Natalie curiously now.

Natalie laughed and shook her head. "It wasn't hard. I knew I was being tracked before I even got there. Your tips helped me figure that out."

Olivia smiled her approval. That was true; she'd taught Natalie over the passing months how to know when she was being tracked by others, how to stay ahead of every one of them. She turned, making her way to her console of screens.

"Who were they?"

"Someone named Pinto."

Olivia worked quickly and brought up a few screens of the faces of the men who had surrounded the facility. Natalie pointed at an image of Pinto.

"Him. He tried to use a sonic rifle on me, but Trap Jaw took him down." Natalie explained.

"He's one of those foot soldiers," Olivia told her, "He and his crew ran missions on support a while back, but that's it. Nothing big on them." She rolled in her seat until she was facing Natalie and stood, putting her arms around her. "You know how to play, don't you?"

Her tone was suggestive and she grinned, earning a giggle from Natalie. "I learned from the best, didn't I?"

"You know it."

Olivia met her lips in a kiss that was slow, gentle and Natalie responded by cupping her cheeks and stroking her thumbs across the spaces beneath her eyes. The silky murmur in Olivia's voice prickled heat through her legs and she felt herself urged backwards toward the bed.

Natalie gave a little grunt when she fell backwards onto the bed, Olivia's weight on top of her. Her lips met hers in a kiss and her hands worked on unbuttoning Natalie's shirt. She managed to work it open, palm Natalie's breasts, making the other woman gasp softly.

Olivia smelled like the palmy woods, her scent alive with the outdoors. Natalie welcomed the comforting warmth and the thrilling touch of those warm hands on her skin.

"Mmm, Olivia, you really..." Natalie breathed, between kisses, "want to let that food get cold?"

Olivia grinned against her lips. "Don't worry about it."

Oh, that wouldn't be difficult for her; Natalie's hands wandered, smoothing down Olivia's sides. Nothing else was important to her right now than Olivia. Her fingers slipped through Olivia's coat, plucking the buttons, working the belt loose.

Meanwhile, Natalie felt Olivia's hands working at her belt as well, her eyes darkened with lust. By the time they managed to undress each other, Natalie was breathing harshly. Olivia sucked at her neck, running a hand down her side before leaning up to whisper in her ear, earning a throaty grunt from Natalie.

Olivia sat up, straddled her thighs before she leaned back, reaching into her side table for the strapless toy. She leaned back down, ran one hand through Natalie's hair as she rubbed the toy between her legs. A guttural noise burst from Natalie's throat when she slipped the toy into her and Olivia pressed her lips against hers.

Hands reached for the junction of her thighs, but Olivia batted her hand away and smirked down at her; which did little justice for her as her eyes were glazed, cheeks flushed. "Not yet."

Natalie shuddered with a grunt of protest, but obeyed and allowed Olivia to adjust herself so that she could rub herself against the toy. A soft gasp from her made Natalie's eyes open and she twitched her hips, dancing along with her. She tilted her head back as Olivia leaned down, kissing and sucking at her throat.

She continued to rub herself against the toy and it felt amazing doing this for a few moments more. But she eventually had enough of that and reached between them, guiding the toy right into herself.

Natalie watched Olivia's eyes shut, her lips part with a low groan. She reached up, running her palms across the planes of her stomach, the dip of her waist, then back up against to tease her chest.

"Fuck..." Olivia breathed out, resting her hands against Natalie's chest.

She was impatient and began to grind down onto the toy; Natalie helped her along by cupping her hips and urging her into a rhythm that started off awkward, but took little time in finding just the perfect spot. It drew lovely, low, thick sounds from Olivia as she leaned up, ran a hand through her hair. She grinned breathlessly down at Natalie, raising an eyebrow as she watched the other woman.

"God," Natalie groaned, feeling dizzy at such a lovely sight of Olivia taking her pleasure like this.

The sound earned a smug laugh from Olivia. She loved that little word on Natalie's lips when she did something particularly good for her in bed.

The metal hand against her waist was gentle - even though it was capable of crushing bone. It was a thrilling thought to be wanted and adored, no matter how quiet Olivia was about it.

She could tell her. It wouldn't be so bad.

But her words died in her throat when she felt a thumb between her legs, stroking her clit. She gave a thick groan, leaning on Natalie's shoulders as she bucked her hips harder into her. Natalie closed her eyes, leaning her head back, gasping out her name.

She was getting close; Olivia could always tell given the way Natalie's voice became heightened and honeyed in pitch. She wasn't far behind herself and when she noticed Natalie lean her head to one side to hide the scarred half of her face, she shook her head and nudged her cheek with one hand to guide it right back where it was.

"Nat, don't do that," she breathed. "You look good."

Natalie smiled nervously in response, but nodded and continued to focus her attention on Olivia; watching for that telltale sign of finishing her. Her cheeks and neck were flushed. Her breath began to hitch with every movement and watched her slowly unravel with rapt fascination, body tensing.

Doubling over, Olivia gasped out, fingers pressing hard into the space on either side of Natalie's head. Natalie's arms surrounded her waist and feeling her own end approaching quickly, she did them both a favor and thrust her hips faster and they both fell over the edge - Olivia letting out a low shout in Natalie's ear, Natalie crying out.

It took them a moment to collect their breath; Natalie's fingertips brushed lightly at the grafts on Olivia's back. They relaxed together, taking their time before Natalie spoke, her voice contented, but amused.

"Mmm." she said.

"Oh yeah." Olivia murmured, against the hot, sweaty skin of her lover's chest. She laughed softly.

Natalie shifted a little, reaching between them to remove the toy. Olivia wiggled a little to help make it easier and once it was set aside, she resumed her perch on Natalie's chest. The other woman's eyes were closed, but she wasn't asleep just yet. So Olivia tilted her head, ran a finger across Natalie's lower lip.

The woman's scars were not as prominent as they used to be, but still obvious. She was once again reminded of finding her broken and bloodied in that building. Her arm and leg crushed to nothing.

It wouldn't have been the first time she'd found someone like that, but Natalie was the only one she'd cared about more than herself.

"Mmm, Olivia?" Natalie mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"I care about you." Natalie was half-dozing off. "Mmm, you know that?"

Olivia's chest tightened at the words. She knew it was true. She knew what that meant. But even so, hearing it always made her shudder; made her feel vulnerable.

"I'm sorry I never say it enough."

Olivia made a thoughtful noise before she laughed quietly. "I don't say it enough either."

"Then we both need to make a habit of saying it more."

They shared a laugh before deciding to sleep.

O

Lethabo was there at Calaveras, drinking oil when Olivia walked up to the bar and took a seat beside him. He glanced over at her, chuckled and shook his head.

"Natalie isn't here? I thought you two went everywhere together." he said.

"She's asleep." Olivia told him. "She's been needing it. So...what brings you back here?"

Sergio poured Lethabo another drink and he looked at Olivia as he did. "The Omnic has something he needs to confess."

Olivia let out a bark of laughter. "Do I look like a priest?"

Lethabo sighed and studied his glass of oil. "I know Natalie puts her faith in you. You are the only one she trusts anymore," he began, "Despite how I feel about what she's been doing, I know she will be fine." He looked at Olivia briefly. "There's something I've never told her or Sasha the day they took me in."

"Oh." Olivia looked interested. "Dirty secrets, huh?"

"Something like that." Lethabo laughed sadly. "You see, I was on the run, but I never told Natalie why. I was owned by a human named David Krummeck. My job was simple - I had to provide service to those in his house. He was a wealthy man who owned a shipping company in Port Elizabeth, but he took care of me. He treated me like a son. More than my own maker ever did. I learned how to speak Afrikaans from him, he taught me to fish, to sculpt."

Sergio poured a drink for Olivia.

"Anyway, David was a good human, but his kin...not so much," Lethabo continued, "His son made a living out of beating me when his father wasn't around. He made quite a bit of sport of it. One day, he attacked me because he thought I'd taken his drugs. I just...I could bear it no longer. We fought and I...I killed him."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Wow."

"David found out and he told me to run." Lethabo's hand shook as he clutched the glass. "I ran and I ran, but the police hunted me down. I hid in a little shed and she found me."

_Natalie opened the shed door and Lethabo gasped when she looked down at him. He had tried to squeeze himself behind a few bags of tools. His optics narrowed when he spotted the small, familiar shape of the girl he'd rescued from the ruined town of De Aar. She wasn't wearing shoes and had a stained black shirt and pants that looked too big for her._

_"It's you!" Natalie gasped._

_"H-Hello." Lethabo panted, with a weak grunt. "I'm sorry for hiding in your shed. I'm..."_

_Natalie took his hand and pulled him to his feet. She heard the sounds of police sirens and didn't ask questions. "Come on! I'll hide you!"_

_"Uh - Oh! Thank you!" Lethabo didn't know what to say and allowed Natalie to lead him around the back of her house, over a few empty containers._

_She stopped once, pulled a pallet aside that covered a hole in the wall before she gestured to it. "Go! Hide in here until I say it's okay to come out."_

_Lethabo didn't argue. He lowered himself to the ground, squeezing his way into the hole. Natalie covered it up once more and quickly rushed back into the house. The walls were thin, so Lethabo could hear chatter coming from inside between Natalie and her mother._

_"Ma, die polisie kom!"_

_Sasha sounded surprised. "Wat? Hoekom?"_

_"Die Omnic is onder die huis. Die een wat ons gehelp het."_

_A moment of silence and Sasha sighed softly. "Dan speel ons net soos altyd, skat."_

_Lethabo shut his optics._

_It wasn't long before the sounds of heavy booted footsteps echoed._

_"Natalie!" a friendly male voice. "How are you doing today?"_

_"Hi, officer Ian."_

_Natalie's voice was happy as well. This must have been a good man._

_But another male voice filled the air and this one sounded impatient. "Ian, enough," he scolded, "Look, we saw the Omnic jump your fence. Where is he?"_

_"Nick, relax, okay?" Ian sighed._

_"I don't know. I didn't see him." Natalie lied._

_"Bullshit. I know that piece of shit is here. And I KNOW you know!" A pause and he snorted. "Stop looking at me like that, Ian. I'm fed up with these Omnic sympathizers. All they do is betray their own for walking televisions on two legs!"_

_Lethabo shook his head, feeling his anger boil. They had no right talking to them like that, especially to a child. But he stayed as Natalie told him to. Making his presence known would make things worse. Ian and Nick were arguing for a moment before Nick spoke._

_"Now then, I know your mother is important to you, Natalie," Nick whispered, "I don't want to tell you what happens to Omnic sympathizers. She'll be taken away. Do you want that?"_

_Lethabo gasped softly when he heard Natalie shout angrily, followed by a wet smack. A thud and Nick was shouting in pain, then Ian was shouting. Sasha was also yelling for Natalie to stop._

_"Fuck! Fuck, that little bitch hit me in the eye!" Nick shouted. "Ian! That's assaulting an officer!"_

_"Yeah! I'll assault your other eye next!" Natalie shouted back._

_There was more arguing and Lethabo feared it would get heated enough that he would have no choice but to step in and help. But the sounds of boots leaving the house, curses from Nick relaxed him. He was leaving and that was probably for the best._

_"Sorry, Sasha," Ian said, gently, "Nick's just... He's had it out for them since he lost his family. I'll keep him off you, don't worry."_

_"Thank you, Ian."_

_After the man left, Sasha sighed and spoke to Natalie. "Natalie, where is he?"_

_Lethabo heard the sound of footsteps, followed by the movement of the pallet. He was welcomed by the sight of Natalie and Sasha._

_"It's alright, Omnic." Sasha assured him, "They're gone. You can come out now."_

_Lethabo nodded and climbed out of the hole. Sasha looked up at him and her eyes slightly widened. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who saved me and my daughter."_

_Lethabo looked down at Natalie before he nodded. "Yes."_

_"Your name?"_

_"My old master called me Lethabo."_

_"Well...welcome, Lethabo."_

"I suppose I was trying to make amends, really." Lethabo said, looking at Olivia who had been quietly listening. "I taught Natalie as I had been taught by my master. I helped her in school, I taught her how to fight and defend herself. I also did everything - "

" - a father should do." Olivia finished.

Lethabo laughed a little, embarrassed. "I never thought about it, but...I suppose I did become...like Natalie's father. That has to sound ridiculous, huh?"

"No." Olivia replied.

Lethabo murmured softly. "I've been so forthcoming to Natalie about the past but..." He exhaled softly, took a drink from his glass. "I never told her the one thing I should have told her a long time ago. That the Omnic I was before I met them was a murderer. Would she look at me the same way they did?"

Olivia made a bored groan and leaned back in her seat. " _Por el amor de Dios,_ Lethabo. You are really bumming me out." she told him. When she caught his look, she continued. "Look, don't worry about telling Natalie. She doesn't need to have her head in the past. That's where it needs to stay, you got it?"

"I see." Lethabo chuckled. "You're right."

"Of course I am." Olivia kicked up her feet. "Anyway, if you're done complaining, I have something I need to tell you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Nat's birthday's coming up. I have something for her and you're going to help me get it."

"Why do I feel like you're going to ask me to do something really stupid?"

Olivia grinned at him and he sighed heavily. "Oh no..."


	5. Red Whispers

~O~

Martin was scanning Natalie's arm that early morning, then her leg. He also had her remove the monocle she wore on her nose to check her vision. So far, it hadn't changed and he was happy of that. Natalie was happy to hear that as well as she fitted the monocle back onto her nose.

He murmured thoughtfully, wrote a few notes down on a notebook nearby, then looked at her with a smile. Natalie was more relaxed with him than she had been with Moira; it wasn't like she didn't respect or appreciate the other woman's work, but she couldn't be vulnerable much with her.

"So...how are we feeling today, Natalie?" he asked.

"I'm okay today, thank you." Natalie smiled. "I've slept well."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." Martin paused, looked back at her with interest. "Your dreams? Would you want to talk about them?"

Natalie's smile thinned somewhat and she hesitated only for a second. Martin caught her look, sighed and shook his head with disappointment. The sound of his pen scratching stopped and he set the notebook down before taking a seat beside her.

"Did Dr. O'Deorain perform the evaluation like I'd asked her?" he asked.

Natalie shook her head.

"Ah, I should have known better than to ask her to do anything like that," Martin said, with an exasperated sound, "The woman has the bedside manner of a Tasmanian Devil."

"She's a scientist, not a doctor." Natalie replied, with a chuckle.

Martin waved a dismissing hand in the air. "And I am also licensed in psychology and here we are..." he muttered. "Now..."

He crossed his legs, took his notebook and held the pen in his hand. He looked at Natalie and smiled. "So...talk to me, Natalie. Let's have this evaluation run properly."

Natalie nodded. "Alright."

"Everyone has a different perspective on what the problem is, and who or what the solution is. The point of counseling is to create positive changes as rapidly as possible without feeling hurried. How do you see the problem or how do you define it?"

Natalie's features clouded in thought. "I feel... These dreams I'm having seem to repeat. I'm seeing it happening again and again."

Martin frowned a little, scribbling onto his notebook. "What is the problem from your viewpoint?"

"Maybe..." Natalie hesitated, licking her lips. "I don't know. I just can't stop dreaming about the attack. Seeing their faces looking up at me. They're laughing at me because..." She rubbed her eyes, struggling to keep her tears from falling. "They know I failed. They know I was weak."

"Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions." Martin explained. "Such as your freeze in Paris. Symptoms may include nightmares or unwanted memories of the trauma, avoidance of situations that bring back memories of the trauma, heightened reactions, anxiety, or depressed mood."

"I feel...anxious when I see a gun," Natalie said, hesitantly. "During missions. But only when I'm visiting people to negotiate deals."

"When you have Sombra with you?"

Natalie's cheeks warmed a little and she laughed softly, nodding.

"Hm. It seems she provides an anchor for you," Martin said, with a smile. "That is a promising thing to hear." He wrote down a few more notes. "You know, I don't know if you remember it, but I used to have my doubts about Sombra. But it seems that the two of you work better for one another."

Natalie lowered her eyes, chuckling. She fidgeted with her hands a little.

"Well these distractions without her...let's get back to that." Martin continued. "The lack of focus you have sometimes. Does it affect your work?"

"Not...that I've noticed. No."

"Natalie..."

Natalie shut her eyes, thought about the moments where she would blank completely at sharp banging sounds. She exhaled and finally nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Banging noises from the training yard sometimes," she admitted, "I can...hear the sounds of the guns from...back there in that place. I don't understand..." She rubbed her forehead. "I faced it with Olivia. I felt stronger for it but...my nightmares and the sounds..."

"Sometimes, trauma can manifest delayed reactions." Martin continued to explain, speaking clinically, "If it becomes difficult to deal with with time; we can try different types of trauma-focused psychotherapy as well as medications to help manage your symptoms of anxiety."

Natalie nodded her head. "I see. Thank you, Martin."

O

Mauga's enormous form cast a shadow over Natalie.

She was kneeling beneath the ship that had been supplied to her by Kim when he approached, leaning against it casually with one hand. She glanced up at him briefly before sighing.

"Can I help you?"

"Hey, Toymaker!" he said. "I got a job I think might need someone of your expertise."

Natalie frowned a little, grunting with effort as she worked at a wire beneath a panel that had come undone from its circuit board.

"I'm busy right now." she told him.

"Yeah, yeah, I see that," Mauga continued to grin, "But hey, I have a proposition for you, buddy. Just hear me out for one second."

Natalie sighed, climbing out from beneath the ship as she walked toward a table, Mauga tailing behind her. She cleaned her hand on a rag.

"Listen, my old pal Jean's hiding away in Port-de-Paix." Mauga continued, "Now you and I both know the only way out of Talon is in a coffin. But I think we might be able to work something out. You know about Sinclair Pharmaceuticals, right?"

Natalie shook her head.

"Right. Well, they've been getting too squirrely with Talon and not paying their dues. This place runs supplies for the clinic Jean's hiding out in. You can run with us and help out. What do you say?"

His wide, easy grin would have charmed anyone else, but not Natalie. She shook her head. If the mission did not benefit Talon in the greater scheme, she was not interested in pandering to him. Plus, she knew about Baptiste leaving Talon and would not help them find him. He had been good to her and saved her life; there was no reason for her to turn on him.

"No." she replied.

Mauga's smile disappeared slightly for a second before he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Ah, and they told me you were one of the fun ones."

"I'm busy, so if you don't mind?" Natalie said, with an impatient frown.

"Alright, guess it's just you and me, Nyugen." He turned to a smaller, slender man with glasses who had been quietly following behind him. "Time to go on a vacation!"

Nyugen sighed and shook his head. "It's not a vacation."

"Come on! Nothing wrong with having a little fun on the job!"

The two walked away and Akande walked passed them, approaching Natalie and studying the ship. She gestured with one hand to the vessel.

"I have been working on the sonic weaponry," she explained, "It should be up and running within a few more days."

"Good. And the armor for my men?"

"Already finished." Natalie smiled with pride. "You can access them in the armory whenever you'd like. They've been tested thoroughly and one is already in use."

"By who?"

"...Sombra."

Akande nodded. "Of course." He shook his head. "But there is another matter that requires your attention."

"Oh?" Natalie looked troubled.

"We've retrieved a man wandering too close to one of our bases in Worcester," Akande explained, "He was disoriented, rambling on chaotically. Unfortunately, he only speaks your native tongue. We need you to be a translator for us while we understand what he saw."

Natalie followed Akande down the corridors, further below where they kept holding cells and interrogation rooms if necessary. She rarely saw them in use unless it was very important; Akande wasn't a patient man for these things and preferred immediate results.

They stopped at a room and Akande stepped inside first. Natalie followed behind him; the room was dimly lit and Gabriel was with a small, slender man with olive skin and short black hair. He was wearing sandals, jean shorts and a torn shirt, looking around the room with unease. When he saw Natalie and Akande, his brow knotted.

"Natalie, tell him exactly what I tell you." Akande said.

She nodded. "Of course."

"Ask him who he is."

Natalie looked at the man and began to speak Afrikaans, which sharply turned his attention to her. He looked a little surprised by the question for a second before he answered in the same way.

"His name is Adam," Natalie explained, looking up at Akande.

"Why was he wandering near our facility?" Akande asked.

Natalie looked at Adam. " _Waarom was u naby die fasiliteit?_ "

Adam looked worried and shook his head, glancing at Akande, then to Gabriel before looking back at Natalie. He spoke hurriedly and while she listened intently, Gabriel shook his head.

"He's worthless," he told Akande in a low voice, "Just some idiot who got too close."

"He says he didn't mean to," Natalie explained, "He was looking for help. He was scared of what he saw."

"What did he see?"

Akande wanted answers and he watched Natalie and Adam converse in Afrikaans for a moment; Adam was troubled, scratching his head and mumbling under his breath. Natalie frowned before she looked up at Akande.

"He says he was driving to work when he noticed something on the road." she explained, while Adam continued to talk, "An Omnic was walking and he looked hurt. So Adam wanted to see what was wrong. He..." Natalie waited for Adam to continue. "...walked over and the Omnic was talking to himself. Mumbling in a strange voice. It wasn't his language but...something else."

Gabriel tilted his head. "Something else?"

Natalie made a face as she continued to translate as Adam spoke. "A...song? A whisper of singing? Adam says the Omnic's eyes looked wrong. They were red almost like the rest of his body. He looked sick but... Omnics don't get sick." She paused when Adam looked at her uneasily. Her features clouded in thought. "He says he tried talking to the Omnic, but he didn't respond. He just continued to walk and talk in that same voice."

Akande's brow knotted. "Anything else?"

Natalie spoke to Adam again. " _Enigiets anders?_ "

Adam hesitated and seemed to stare off, his expression blank.

" _Enigiets anders?_ " Natalie repeated, with a little more insistence.

Adam looked at Natalie, frightened. He mumbled something and Natalie listened intently. She blinked, astonished by what he said before frowning deeply. Akande caught the look and watched as she rose, gesturing for them to step out of earshot so that they could talk.

"Well?" Gabriel said.

"He says the Omnic wasn't responding to him, but he noticed something strange," Natalie told them, "He was speaking in code and his body was covered in a glowing red..." She paused, looked back at Adam briefly. "...virus."

"A virus." Akande thought about that.

"What do we do about him?" Natalie questioned, glancing back at Adam.

Gabriel had the answer. "We make it quick and find that Omnic."

Natalie frowned and looked at Akande. "He was showing respect," she told him, "Killing him would no doubt raise suspicions about the facility and bring heat to your men."

Akande agreed with that. "Mmm, you raise a good point, Natalie."

"I can take him back," she offered, "It would be refreshing to talk to someone who shares my language. If that's agreeable to you, sir."

"It's fine. Return him home and complete your work." Akande looked down at his hand, then to Gabriel. "We have important matters to discuss anyway."

"Of course."

Natalie approached Adam and reached out with one hand. He watched her hesitantly, looked at the other two before rising and walking away with her. On the way, they talked together in Afrikaans, which was lost to the various troopers they passed.

"It's nice speaking to someone else from home," Natalie said, with a smile.

"Where are you from?" Adam questioned.

"De Aar."

Adam's face lit up. "You are? So am I!"

Natalie and Adam shared a laugh. She decided that this was nice; having a little moment of humanity and a reminder of the old home she'd left behind.

"It's a pity what happened to our home," Adam continued, his features grave, "And Overwatch refusing to come to our aid."

Natalie's smile disappeared now. "What?"

"Oh, you were too young to remember what De Aar was," Adam explained, with a sympathetic smile, "We were a den for terrorism and trade."

Natalie stopped walking now, stunned by the news. That was true; she had been far too young to know what had gone on in De Aar and what people were doing. All she knew was the destruction, the death and the emptiness that came following the Omnic attacks.

Her father...

"My father was Desmond Krige." Natalie said. "He told me when I was little that he did good work for De Aar and that it was necessary to make money."

Adam shook his head sadly. "Your father was probably one of those dealing in trade." he told her. "All men in the town did so."

Natalie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She felt herself shake and blinked somewhat to calm herself. It made sense after all these years why her father left and why he was secretive about what he did. She had been too young to understand, but now...

But another matter crossed her mind - Overwatch. They'd refused to aid De Aar. And for what?

Because it had been a den for crime?

"They abandoned us..."

Adam was quiet for a moment before he nodded weakly. "Yes..."

O

"I don't like this plan."

"Come on. It's bad when you have that attitude."

Olivia and Lethabo crept around the corner of the building; they were sneaking into the experimental facility that tested new devices yet to be released to the public. The one that Olivia had wanted would be an addition to Natalie's prosthetic arm that would help her with her work. She wouldn't have to weak a ridiculous head piece. Not that she minded a good laugh every now and again.

"So what are you getting Natalie for her birthday anyway?" she asked, in a low voice.

Lethabo grunted, embarrassed. "It's...rather stupid."

"Can't be all that bad, _hermano._ "

"Well..." Lethabo chuckled. "I have this."

He reached into his pocket and removed a small miniature; it was of a small duck, painted in vibrant colors. It wasn't as glossy as the ones Olivia had gotten for Natalie and the quality was poor in some parts. But otherwise, it was kind of cute.

"I made this myself," Lethabo told her, with another embarrassed laugh. "I know it isn't that good, but Natalie always made gifts for others, so I wanted to do the same for her."

"Huh." Olivia nodded a little. "I hear ya'. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure she'll like it. She still has all those ugly things sitting on her workbench."

Lethabo was happy to hear that. He tucked the miniature back into his pocket and followed Olivia toward a barren, gray wall that made him grunt uneasily.

"I don't think I'm going to be safe here." he said.

"Why's that?"

Lethabo pointed to a sign that read "OMNICS WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT". Olivia made a face. Yeah, that would make their trip a problem.

"Okay, hold on. I'll be right back." she told him.

Lethabo started to argue, but she disappeared with a wave of her hand. He sighed, stood there and looked around. It was quiet and no one else was around.

"I'll just wait here, then."

He had grown anxious when five minutes passed; the sounds of chatter from the other side of the wall didn't change. Everyone seemed comfortable, easy going. It was a shame that Omnic hatred was still prevalent, even after all this time since the Crisis. Natalie and Sasha had been the few kind humans he'd known in his life, though; they'd treated him like family and given him so much, even when they had so little to give.

"Hey... Hey!"

Olivia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked down, noticing she'd reappeared at his side, clutching a black case in hand. She gestured with one flick of her hand.

"Snap out of it," Olivia said. "Let's go!"

"Sorry." Lethabo replied, following her as she rushed off.

O

Olivia laughed and led Lethabo into Calaveras that evening, expecting to see Natalie waiting there for her as always. But this time, she wasn't. She frowned and looked around at the slightly crowded bar before making her way toward the counter to Sergio. Luis was in the back of the bar, yelling in Spanish about a problem with a rat he'd seen that made Sergio roll his eyes and move his hand like a talking mouth.

"Hey, you see Nat anywhere?" she asked.

Sergio frowned thoughtfully. "No, she hasn't been here all evening, _mija_. I'm sorry."

Lethabo looked at Olivia. "Would she be at work?"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders and reached up to her COMM, tapping into Natalie's channel. "Hey Nat?" she said, "You on? Where are you?" She paused and made a face. "Huh? Why are you down there?" Another pause. "Hold on, I'm coming down."

Lethabo was worried. "Where is she?" he asked.

"She's sitting on the beach. She won't tell me why." Olivia grumbled and shook her head, walking out of the bar and muttering in Spanish.

Lethabo followed her and they walked through Dorado, down a path that led them to the beach where several tourists were hanging around; some were on towels, others under umbrellas and they watched the moon overhead. It cast a relaxing glow on the surface of the water.

The two looked around and spotted Natalie's familiar shape standing just a few feet away. She was watching the water blankly, staring at it as it collected over her boot and metal ankle. Lethabo approached her and she blinked, smiling sadly at him. Her eyes were wet with evidence of tears and she quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Oh! I'm sorry, you two," she told them, "I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just...needed some time to clear my head for a little bit."

"Is everything alright?" Lethabo asked, concerned.

"Yes, yes, I think so."

Natalie was lying and Olivia noticed it. She furrowed her brow, shook her head and Natalie hesitated, lips parting before she finally exhaled heavily.

"I learned the truth of De Aar," she told them, "My home was a haven for thieves, terrorists, and criminals who dealt in trade and that is why Overwatch left us to die."

Lethabo made a stunned noise and Olivia didn't react to the news. She had known what had happened and why it had happened.

A soft sigh and Natalie shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It happened long ago and I shouldn't dwell." She was still distracted by the thoughts, still wounded by the news.

Her attention was focused on the black case that Olivia was carrying. She tilted her head curiously and pointed at it.

"What do you have there?"

Olivia smiled now, raised the case and gave it a light pat. "A little birthday present for you."

Natalie looked surprised now. "My what? Oh!" She laughed and scratched her head. "Ah, I forgot that was coming up. I've had a lot on my mind."

Olivia handed her the case and she sat down in the sand to open it. When she saw what was inside, she grinned and looked at Olivia, who certainly seemed proud of her reaction.

"Is this the...?" Natalie began.

"It is! A girl always has to have the latest tech."

Natalie reached inside, removing the little device inside, shaped like a ring. She turned it around for study and fitted it onto her wrist. Flexing her fingers, she was delighted to see it glow and a few panels open for storage. She laughed now and looked at Olivia.

"Thank you!" she said.

"Now you don't have to wear that ridiculous head gear."

"What's wrong with my head gear?"

Lethabo watched them interact, share laughter before he glanced down sadly at the little miniature he'd made. He thought of giving it to Natalie, but tucked it back into his pocket instead. Olivia caught the gesture and frowned in his direction before she glanced back at Natalie.

"Hey, he's got something for you, too." she said.

Natalie looked at Lethabo with interest. "You do?"

"It's... It doesn't compare to her gift to you..."

Natalie laughed gently. "I'll be the judge of that." she told him. "Please, Lethabo, _moenie bekommerd wees nie_. I want to see what you have."

He sighed hesitantly, but reached back into his pocket, producing the miniature in his hand. He held it out to her and she blinked, taking the offering and studying it in her hands.

"I understand it's not like the others you have," he replied, quietly. "I don't have much money to give you something better. I know you liked them and I thought I could make one myself."

Natalie smiled now. "Lethabo, I love it."

"Really?"

"Yes!" Natalie assured him, still smiling, "You took time to make this for me. I'll always appreciate a gift like that. Thank you, Lethabo."

The Omnic was happy to hear that.

"Anyway, you want to celebrate with a drink? Sergio has new stock." Olivia told Natalie.

"Yes! yes, I'd like that." Natalie was pleased to have such a distraction now.

Meanwhile, the Omnic Adam had seen was still wandering the desert, eyes glowing red, body covered in glowing, crimson vines. He was singing softly in his language, laughing between verses.

On his arm, there was a God Program symbol printed in black.


	6. Night of Tears

~O~

Natalie was thrown into the wall.

She grunted sharply, then flashed a wide grin at the soldier in front of her. "Ooh, someone wants to play rough!" she snarled, wickedly.

Gabriel was drifting around in a swirl of black smoke and red eyes; taking shots at several other soldiers attempting to stop him.

The mission had been simple: Retrieve the schematics for a new project that the English were developing. It was something that was rumored to control Omnics. But that was just a rumor.

Natalie took hold of her taser staff before spinning it and cracking it across the soldier's chest, sending him stumbling backwards with a loud shout of pain. Natalie gleefully chuckled, then her eyes widened when another soldier lunged for her with a roar.

She jumped out of the way and he was knocked into a jukebox. It jolted the machine and began to loudly play the song "Saturday Night" by Bay City Rollers. It drew the attention of several more soldiers to join the fight. Gabriel and Natalie stood, back-to-back as they were gradually surrounded.

"Good numbers," Gabriel growled, with macabre glee.

"Indeed. How would you like to do this?" Natalie questioned.

"Duck."

"What?"

"DUCK."

Natalie dropped to the floor on her belly and Gabriel began to spin in a blur of smoke, firing his guns. Natalie shielded her ears and watched as the soldiers around them folded to the floor lifelessly from his peculiar assault. Once it was cleared, Gabriel looked around, admiring his handiwork as Natalie rose.

"Too easy." he said.

"Now I can get the schematics." Natalie smiled, making a happy sound as she made her way through the piles of the dead, not blinking an eye once at them. "Thank you, Gabriel."

Gabriel followed behind her. "So you didn't freeze up this time. Good. I didn't want to have you carried out of trouble again."

Natalie gave a short laugh, but her eyes clouded over in thought. "I know, _maat_ , I know." she replied. "But Martin has been patient with me and I awoke today feeling much better for it. "

"Good." Gabriel was disinterested in the explanation, but satisfied with that much.

They walked up a flight of stairs and into a workshop where a man had been hiding beneath a desk, shaking with terror. Natalie hummed a song to herself and Gabriel sighed.

"Where's that mutt of yours anyway?" he asked.

"Trap Jaw? Oh! He's outside playing with one of the guards." Natalie replied, with a chuckle.

The man whimpered, trying to muffle the sound with his hand. The noise was heard by Natalie, who quickly looked up and around. She looked at Gabriel.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

Gabriel nodded his head and circled around the room to look for the man while Natalie scooped up documents into her hands. She heard a shout of terror, followed by a plea for mercy before the sound of Gabriel's gun going off silenced him.

"Anyway..." Gabriel said, with a bored sound, "Do we have what we need?"

"Yes," Natalie replied, studying the schematics. "Well, it isn't a control device. It looks like they were planning on a new tracking system. It's a little...childish, to be honest. I can't believe they thought this would be state of the art. I could make something like this in my sleep."

"What was the tracking system for?"

"Hmm...odd." Natalie studied the schematics with a frown. "A God Program."

Gabriel reacted with a small grunt. "What? God Program?"

"Yes, I've heard rumors about them," Natalie explained, studying the schematics. "They were A.I. systems used during the Omnic Crisis to control armies. But they'd been shut down and no one's spoken of them since. What did this group want with a God Program?"

She looked around the room briefly, then to Gabriel.

"I don't know," Gabriel said, impatiently. "We can find out when we head back. Now let's go."

O

Akande didn't like the news.

He was silent while Natalie explained her discovery; Gabriel was sitting beside her, arms folded across his chest. He confirmed everything that Natalie said. Akande frowned down at the schematics laid out in front of him.

"The God Programs were a means to control the Omnics," he said, "How did they come to learn about them?"

"I don't know, Akande," Natalie continued to explain, "But...do you think it has something to do with the Omnic Adam had seen?"

"Maybe." Akande's features clouded in thought. "Chaos is on the rise. Tensions between Omnics and humans are flaring once more. This could be a futile way for humanity to cull them. It won't work. It failed before and it will fail again."

Natalie made a thoughtful note.

"However..." Akande smiled a little. "These schematics would prove useful for us. Would you be able to make this tracking system?"

Natalie chuckled. "Childsplay, Akande. In fact, I can make improvements to this design and have it run better than they had initially planned."

"Good. If they're looking for a God Program, then there is good enough reason for it."

Natalie nodded and scooped up the schematics before she departed. Gabriel watched her go, then looked toward Akande, tilting his head.

"God Programs, huh?" he said.

"They can't stop the inevitable," Akande told him, tapping his fingers against the table, "They know a war is on the rise. All it'll take is one little mistake. The next Crisis is close. We will all be ready for it."

Meanwhile, the Omnic who had wandered the desert found his way at the edge of Numbani. He continued to sing until he stopped at a security barrier. Swaying back and forth, his singing transformed into a soft humming sound and the red in his body vanished, leaving him to collapse onto the ground. The movement was spotted by two OR15 defense robots and they made their way toward him.

O

Lethabo was shopping in the town square that evening. He was going through his bag, humming to himself as he pulled out a new bottle of oil to drink. He made a happy noise, tapped his fingers against it and mimicked placing a kiss against the bottle. It would be a good night to relax and gather a few things to help Natalie with her memories. So far, he was happy with her progress.

"Ah! Lethabo! _Ẹ ku alẹ!_ "

Lethabo looked up when he noticed a human approaching him; a teacher as he had remembered her when he engaged in the special programs for Omnics. Adaora Ibekwe - she had been kind to him as all humans had been here and welcomed him with open arms upon his arrival to his classes.

"Hello, Adaora!" he said, "What brings you here?"

"We were hoping to see you tonight, but you didn't show for your earthenware class," she said, furrowing her brow, "Is everything going well at home?"

"Ah, yes, yes," He nodded his head, thinking of Natalie. "Forgive me, I've had a lot on my mind. I've been busy."

She smiled sympathetically. "Of course. Forgive me, I always forget."

"It's okay." Lethabo noticed the OR15 robots walking with a security Omnic as they carried something with them toward the Omnic infirmary. He couldn't quite see what it was that they carried, but shook his head and resumed his attention on the human with him. "I wouldn't mind the company. Would you like to walk with me?"

Adaora smiled. "I wouldn't! I was going to the store to pick up some things anyway."

The two walked down the street, greeting Omnics and humans as they passed. Adaora encouraged Lethabo to talk about Natalie and as they entered a food shop on the corner, he began to discuss how he felt about everything regarding her work - keeping out the details of who she worked for.

" _Mholo_ , Nkosi." Adaora greeted the Omnic behind the counter.

The Omnic inclined his head once in greeting.

"I'm learning Xhosa for some of my South African students," she explained to Lethabo, "We have a variety of new arrivals in today. It will be good for them."

A small chuckle from the Omnic at her side. "That it would."

The two walked through the store and Lethabo searched for a few things of interest to buy while the human woman searched for something of her own.

"I had asked her lover what she thought about it," Lethabo explained, passing a shelf littered with Omnic treats, "But what do I say to Natalie? 'Hello, would you consider me, an Omnic, a father to you'?"

"I think you've done everything a father should do for a child," Adaora explained, picking up a loaf of bread. "You told me her father had abandoned them after the Omnic Crisis, right?"

"That's true."

"But that isn't what bothers you, is it?"

Lethabo sighed. "No," he replied, slouching his shoulders.

"What is it, then?"

"She's going down a dark path," Lethabo told her, "I've seen it and heard of it. She only seems to soften when she's with this woman. I know she's lost, bitter and cold toward the world and everyone in it. But I believe there's still goodness in her. She only needs a chance to see that the rest of the world isn't as evil and worthy of 'justice' as she claims."

Nkosi wandered to the back room while they were talking.

"I think from the sound of it you're doing fine, Lethabo," Adaora told him with a reassuring smile, "You've said she's been dealt a cruel hand. But these things...you can't rush them. She will see in time."

Lethabo sighed softly, but was comforted by that a little. "Thank you, Adaora."

Suddenly, the entire store's power shut off, casting the two in darkness. Lethabo grunted and looked around and Adaora frowned, confused.

"Is that a power outage?" she wondered. "How strange. I've never seen Numbani lose power before."

"Maybe they're testing the new station." Lethabo pointed out. "I received a notice in my mail this morning that there could be some surges."

A loud crash in the back turned their attention toward the door.

"Nkosi?" Adaora called, "Are you alright?"

No response.

Lethabo looked down at her and she frowned before walking toward the door of the back room. She stepped around the counter, peered into the darkness of the room and found the Omnic standing with his back to them, swaying back and forth. At his feet, a glass jar of oil had been dropped.

"I know..." Nkosi mumbled, under his breath. "I know. I know."

"Nkosi?" Adaora questioned, worried. "Are you okay?"

The Omnic slowly turned and bands of red light began to appear around his arms and optics. He hissed softly and the two stared at him, shocked.

"Now, now, we don't want to disappoint him, do we?" Nkosi mumbled, swaying in a disoriented manner, "Those humans made us...and him. But they will suffer for their arrogance...won't they?"

"Adaora, close the door." Lethabo said, his tone severe.

Nkosi lunged for them and they quickly raced out of the room, slamming the door behind them. The Omnic threw his body against the door with sharp, angry grunts. He let out fits of manic laughter, clawing at the door until his fingers began to snap off.

"Oh! Let me out, Adaora!" he shrieked, "LET ME OUT! HE WANTS YOU TO SEE!"

"Lethabo! What's wrong with him?" she exclaimed, looking at the Omnic.

Lethabo shook his head. "He's...infected. A virus."

"We need to get help," Adaora told him, "Now!"

They made their way outside and Lethabo looked up when he noticed an Omnic rushing them, shrieking wildly, in the same condition as Nkosi. He quickly jumped to intercept him before he could run into Adaora. He struggled to hold back the Omnic and looked back at her desperately.

"Go!" he shouted, "Get to the security chief!"

Adaora hesitated, unsure about leaving him alone and he gestured sharply with one hand before returning it to the Omnic's face.

"GO!"

She nodded and immediately turned down an alleyway, listening to the Omnic and Lethabo fighting in the street.

"Get off me, _kranksinnige!_ " Lethabo grunted.

"Oh, he wants us to do it! Let me go!"

Adaora made her way down the streets, horrified to find Omnics and humans fighting one another; the Omnics were in the same condition as Nkosi had been. They were driven to fits of insanity and the humans were trying desperately to keep them at bay. It was confusion and chaos and she ran through it all, making her way to the security building.

But an OR15 robot stepped directly into her path. Her eyes widened and she took a step back; it was covered in the same red light and occasionally sparked.

" _S-System malfunction,_ " it croaked, between fits of static. " _Corruption detected._ "

Adaora took several steps back as the four-legged machine advanced slowly toward her. It seemed to struggle to resist whatever had its hold on it.

"Oh, please. You can't do this." she begged.

" _I have no choice._ " the OR15 sputtered, " _The virus has corrupted my systems. It has control_."

"You can't kill a human being!" Adaora cried, desperately, "You were programmed to protect us. You're fighting it right now."

The machine powered up its cannon, but hesitated and swung its arm wildly back and forth, taking shots of plasma at several buildings in an effort to avoid killing her.

"What is controlling you?" Adaora shouted, backing away to hide behind a car, "Tell me!"

" _V-Virus...origins..._ " the OR15 continued to struggle to speak, " _Omnic...infirmary... Unknown program..._ "

Adaora immediately ran and the OR15 gave chase, letting out a metallic screech. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, screaming and ducking from shots from the cannon behind her. She could see the infirmary not too far away and quickly rushed through the door.

The OR15 was far too large to fit through it and collided with the wall, clawing desperately to reach her; its legs thrashed wildly across the floor like a crazed horse and she refused to look back. She ran and ran through the dark corridors of the infirmary until she stopped at a flight of stairs to catch her breath.

She shouldn't have been there.

Adaora made her way through the corridors, spotting no signs of life to be seen - Omnic or Human. Even as she walked down another hallway, there wasn't a single sound to be heard.

"Adaora..." a voice croaked.

She paled, whirled and looked behind her, but saw nothing. The sounds of footsteps echoed around the hallway and she saw Lethabo turn the corner, but her heart sank when she saw he was also covered in red glow. When he looked toward her, she let out a frightened noise and ran down the hallway.

She continued to run until she found an emergency exit. Once she stepped up to it, a hand slapped itself near her head and Adaora whirled, frightened.

Lethabo's mouth and optics were bright with red and he snarled with effort before groaning, looking at her beseechingly and recoiling.

"I'm..." he gasped. "I'm so sorry, Adaora I don't - " He held one hand to his face. "I don't know what's wrong with me...!" He let out a sharp groan, staggering to the floor and shouting to an unseen force. "No! Get out of my head! Leave me alone!"

Adaora watched him with confusion and fright. "Lethabo!" she cried, moving to reach out.

He groaned, shaking his head rapidly. "Go! Run! He wants me to hurt you!" He viciously smashed his head against the floor with a gruesome crack. "I WON'T! I WON'T! I won't do it again! Not again!"

Adaora still couldn't move. "Who's telling you to hurt me, Lethabo? Please, tell me!"

"GO!" Lethabo shouted, his optics flashing bright red. "RUN!"

Adaora did as he said and ran out the exit, leaving him alone. He laughed weakly, straining against the corrupted programming flooding his senses.

"Tell Natalie I'm sorry."

He stood up and ran at high speed toward a window before throwing himself through it.

O

Olivia was awoken that morning to a loud, piercing ring in her COMM.

She sighed, straightened in the bed and her shifting awoke Natalie laying beside her. She blinked sleepily, watching Olivia sit up before she joined her.

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked.

Olivia shook her head and raised one hand, producing a holographic screen that brought up Baptiste's face. He looked haunted, sick to his stomach and it immediately caught the attention of the two women. They were awake and Natalie frowned down at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

O

Natalie wasn't unfamiliar with the sight of crying people, destruction and the smell of smoke. She saw herself standing amid the destruction of De Aar, calling for help. She made her way through crying crowds until the sounds of gunfire echoed. She looked up sharply when she noticed Baptiste approaching her and her eyes widened. She put her arms around him in an embrace.

"Jean! You're okay!" she said.

He laughed weakly; his eyes were sunken, his beard thick. He must have found his way away from Mauga. She'd secretly worried for his well-being. After all, he had been good to her.

"Where's Sombra?" Baptiste asked.

"She's checking around the city, trying to find answers," Natalie explained, "But where's - "

Another gunshot and the two looked up as two Omnics ran by them, snarling. They were immediately dropped when two more gunshots sounded and their bodies folded to the ground. Natalie's eyes snapped wide and a few startled, anguished cries echoed around them. Mothers were holding their children close, staring down at the sight with sorrow.

"What in the name of God?" Natalie exclaimed.

"I know," Baptiste told her, "The Omnics in Numbani attacked the humans in the middle of the night. No one has answers. I came here to offer help."

Natalie looked haunted, wandering down the street. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest and she prayed that she would not find Lethabo lying around. She prayed he was at Calaveras and not here.

Soft crying filled the air and she looked down, noticing a small child huddled in the alley, tears streaked down his face. Natalie hesitated, looked down at him before she knelt down, reaching out with one hand. The boy was frightened and recoiled from her, but she smiled a little.

"I know, I look scary, don't I?" she joked. "But don't worry. I won't hurt you."

The boy looked down at her metal hand, then to her face and managed a small smile. He hesitated, reached out and allowed for her to pick him up.

"There we are," Natalie said, "Not so bad, is it, _kleinding_? Let's go find your parents."

Meanwhile, Olivia met with Baptiste at the edge of the city. He looked at her for answers and kept himself hidden in the shadows for the moment.

"Their power was fried," she told him, "I hit their security database and found they were keeping information on an old program. It has the same code as whatever this was that attacked Numbani."

"So, what are you saying?" Baptiste questioned, "The humans didn't just attack the Omnics?"

"No," Olivia frowned deeply, "I'm saying that whatever it was, it forced the Omnics to attack. Like a..." She snapped her fingers a few times. "Those God Programs from the Omnic Crisis."

"God Program." Baptiste shook his head in disbelief. "Those things were all shut down."

"Well, one's been woken up, it looks like." Olivia looked around, surveying the dead Omnics.

She looked up now when she noticed Natalie had been slowly approaching something, the expression on her face blank and devoid of emotion. Baptiste and Olivia followed her gaze and quickly rushed over to keep her from seeing what she was seeing.

"No! No, Nat, hey," Olivia stepped in her field of vision, shook her head. She cupped her cheek, smiled reassuringly. "Hey, don't look, okay? Just look at me?"

Natalie's features crumbled and tears trickled down her cheeks. Olivia watched as she started to look beyond her, but she wouldn't allow it. Baptiste even stepped in her way and he stared at what Natalie had seen, eyes haunted. He listened to the encouragements from Olivia.

"No, look at me, Nat. Just keep looking at me. Don't look over there."

Laying among the dead Omnics was Lethabo.

Baptiste looked over his shoulder as Natalie crumbled to the ground, outright sobbing.


	7. The Bitter They Are, The Harder They Fall

~O~

The facility was silent.

No activity.

No chatter.

Moira was working silently in her dimly-lit laboratory, staring down at the lifeless head of Lethabo on her desk, attached to several wires. Martin was with her, studying the head of the Omnic with disgust and uncertainty. Moira was calm, collected as she checked the wires attached to a console. Akande and Amélie entered the room, first, then Gabriel and Olivia.

" _Ay, asqueroso!_ " Olivia said, grimacing.

"Natalie can't know what we're doing down here," Moira replied, studying a wire.

"Oh, is that concern for another living being, I hear?" Martin quipped.

Moira rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I have little time for that. I don't want her upset and have her destroy my laboratory. Where is she, anyway?"

Olivia exhaled through her nose. "She's in her workshop. She told me she needed her space." She swallowed thickly, showing no emotion or weakness.

"Whatever gets us answers faster," Akande was disinterested in the conversation and focused on Lethabo's head resting on the table. "Dr. O'Deorain, what happened?"

"Let's find out." Moira said, with a smile.

She switched on the machine and it hummed to life. Lethabo's optics powered on and he let out a few weak groans. They flickered occasionally and he looked around.

"Wh-Where am I? What...?" he whispered.

"Lethabo," Moira said, "Can you hear me?"

Lethabo looked up at her with a weak sound. His voice was slightly distorted. "Yes, I can hear you."

"What happened in Numbani?" Moira questioned, "Why did the Omnics attack the humans there?"

"You saw it, didn't you? I thought it was clear."

He sounded depressed, the tone not missed by Martin. Because of course he was; he had died and now was reawoken as nothing more than a severed head. It was gruesome. He had died, been revived by Moira's skill and now made to relive the memories all over again.

The man knelt down at his level and Moira rolled her eyes with dismay at the sight. She didn't think such kindness would get them results, but she didn't stop it.

"Lethabo," Martin began, gently, "We know something corrupted the Omnics, but we need to know your last memories of the incident so we can better understand exactly what it was. What did you hear before the attack? Did you see anything unusual?"

Lethabo's optics wandered about before he spoke. "It... It was like a song in my head," he whispered, "From...a voice unclouded by conscience or remorse. I...I don't know where it came from, but...I tried to fight it. I really, really tried. But the more I resisted, the stronger it got. It was angry. It wanted me to kill."

"What was it?" Akande scowled impatiently.

"Something old," Lethabo continued, "When it was in my head, I saw it; it was made before us and the Omnic Crisis. It's seen the world before this. It was sleeping long before this, but...someone woke it up."

"Did anything different happen before this?" Martin asked him. "Anything at all that you can remember? Even the smallest detail would be useful to us."

Lethabo glanced down briefly, metal plates around his face wrinkling. "I...I remember they brought in a wounded Omnic. Then...we lost power."

"The Omnic." Gabriel reacted. He looked at Akande. "Could it be that same Omnic Adam saw?"

"Possibly..." Akande frowned thoughtfully. "Wherever that Omnic is now, we will find him...and Adam."

"Why him?"

"He was a messenger, Gabriel," Akande told him, with a thin, fiendish smile. "The Omnic he met wanted us to find out who he was. He wanted us to doubt. To sow chaos, but to create it within us, not the world. This new foe strives for madness and disorder."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Gabriel questioned.

"On my terms, Gabriel. Not in the hands of a machine."

Lethabo was silent for a moment and Moira reached for the cords keeping his head alive. He followed the movement of her hand before he spoke.

"Last words." he quickly said.

Moira frowned. "What?"

"I won't lie anymore," Lethabo told her, "I wont lie about your chances against this...this enemy. But even for all of you...murderers, terrorists...you have my sympathies. And please..." He was silent again. "...tell Natalie I'm so sorry. Please."

Moira considered something before she looked at Akande. He nodded once and she removed the cords. Lethabo's light faded from his optics with a final sigh. He was finally at peace.

Once Martin and the others walked to Natalie's workshop to give her the news, they found her absent. There were signs she'd left in a hurry; her table's contents had been strewn about.

"Nat?" Olivia called. "Nat!"

"Where'd she run off to?" Gabriel growled, impatiently.

Amélie leaned over the desk and found a note held down by Lethabo's miniature. She smiled thinly and held it up to Akande. He read it and chuckled a little.

"She's off to play with Adam, it seems," she said. "She must have figured it out before we did."

Olivia ran a hand through her hair. She didn't like the idea of Natalie running off in her mental state of mind. She didn't want to think about what would happen to her.

"Dammit." she growled.

"She's going to Worcester," Akande said. He looked down at Sombra. "Find her and Adam. I want this to be done quickly, silently and efficiently."

"You got it, boss." Olivia grinned, still worried about Natalie.

She turned, shaking her head as she made her way to a near drop-ship.

_Goddamn it, Nat..._

O

_He's running. He's scared._

Natalie was standing in the shadows, watching Adam as he walked down the street. He looked around warily, unsure of something. When he spotted her, his eyes widened and Natalie grinned, waving one hand at him. Taunting him. Terrifying him.

Adam was soon running desperately, panting.

Natalie calmly strolled after him, her features blank of feeling. She followed him into an abandoned hotel and stopped in the foyer, looking around. Trap Jaw began to sniff the ground around them and growled softly. Natalie paced back and forth with a smirk.

She couldn't see him, but she knew he was here. He would hear her.

"Adam!" she yelled, "I have Worcester surrounded with my turrets. And this hotel?" She pressed a button and several tiny machines made their way inside through the windows and cracks. "My newest little toys - The Swarm. Capable of tracking living beings in a matter of seconds."

She started to make her way up a flight of stairs and Trap Jaw continued to sniff around on the lower floor. The hotel wasn't very large - she would find Adam eventually.

"I just want to talk, Adam," she continued in Afrikaans, her tone light with friendliness, but a carefully veiled murderous intent lingered, "I was spoiled by an act of kindness from you and I had them spare your life." She laughed and the murder was gone from her voice. "Why? Why do I keep making that same mistake? Why did I foolishly believe you would be any different from the rest?"

Adam was hiding on the third floor, but the emptiness of the hotel carried Natalie's voice. He tearfully shook his head, whimpering softly.

He knew it would eventually come back to him. If only he'd never met that corrupted Omnic...

He never wanted to hurt anyone.

"Why?" Natalie sounded disappointed, tired. She wasn't addressing him now, but herself. "Why do I make that same mistake over and over? You'd think I would have learned by now..."

He heard the skittering sounds of Natalie's metal insects across the floor and looked down when one of them darted in the crack of the door he was hiding behind. He gasped, tried to kick it aside but heard the sound of Natalie's footsteps enter the room. He was hiding in a bathroom, but she would find him.

"Adam!" Natalie sang, "Come out! You're only making this worse for yourself."

Adam whined and the noise turned Natalie's attention toward the bathroom door. She grinned now and grasped it with one hand, yanking it off of its hinges. Adam shrieked when she stomped inside and struggled to recoil away from her in the bathtub.

"No! No, no!" he begged.

Her hand closed around his throat and he gagged, lifted off of his feet. Natalie laughed as she watched him grasp at her arm and kick his legs out beneath him. Her metal arm couldn't flip cars, but she was capable of lifting grown men. It felt good to have that strength.

To give back the hurt they gave her.

"Aww, you're really bad at hiding spots, Adam," Natalie hissed, her scars making her wicked grin look frightening, "That's too bad. Because now I get to play with you, just like you played with me. You know what happens to those who toy with me?"

"Please don't!" Adam begged, shaking his head frantically; tears began to form, "I-I didn't know what he - "

"Didn't know what he was going to do?" Natalie interrupted snidely. She stared at him, eyes wide. "You're the second person to say that to me. What did you THINK was going to happen? What did that...Omnic promise you? Hm? What was the price?"

"I-I didn't want to hurt anyone. I swear it."

"Hah! Too late for that."

Adam choked out a desperate, wordless noise.

Natalie's lips pursed and she snarled, tossing him through the weakened wall. He crashed through it in a pile of broken wood, gasped and quickly scrambled to his feet, backing away as she advanced.

"All he told me was to find you." Adam told her, raising two hands. "I don't know what he is, but he sees everything. He knows everything about us!"

Natalie's brow knotted and she bared her teeth.

"Please, Natalie," he begged, "I - "

"Actually, don't speak," Natalie whispered, with a chilling smile, "Lethabo didn't get that chance. I don't think you deserve it."

"But - "

" _SHUT UP!_ " Natalie screamed, punching the wall near her head.

Adam whimpered and jolted at the sudden scream from the other woman. Behind him, Trap Jaw crouched, hissing maliciously.

"You're dog food."

Trap Jaw gave a roar and lunged.

Adam's scream pierced through the night.

O

Ana Amari crept silently through the hotel.

She was looking at her wrist, tracking down Natalie; her wrist screen produced an image of the woman's face and she frowned thoughtfully before tapping her COMM. She spoke quietly and looked around, carefully observing her surroundings.

She could hear shifting sounds above her, smell blood.

It wasn't the first time she'd been in this same predicament, but now, she was looking for Natalie. After being seen in the town; it was a chance to stop a Talon agent. She had to find that Omnic as well and who would know about that better than Talon.

"Ana Amari..." Natalie's voice called softly through the hotel. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"We know each other?" Ana called.

"Mmm, no, we've never met personally," Natalie sounded tired, "But I remember you. You were the one who denied me a place in Overwatch. And the one who denied help to De Aar when the Omnics came." She sighed long and loud at the silence. "Ah, yes, you're remembering it now, aren't you?"

Ana slowly made her way upstairs and began to check every room. She had her sleep darts at the ready. The intent wasn't to kill Natalie.

"Well? Come on up. Don't be shy." Natalie whispered, a grin in her voice.

But hearing that; Ana knew her now. She remembered that dark day when the Omnics during the Crisis raged havoc onto the world. One of the smaller towns had been De Aar and she was put under pressure to place agents there to help the survivors. No one wanted to help them because of their history and criminal ways. She had been horrified by the refusal, but left with no choice.

"Even so, I'm glad you're here, Amari," Natalie said, somewhere close, "I'd appreciate closure. I need to understand why you did it. Why you abandoned us to the mercy of the Omnics."

"Natalie..." Ana said, calmly, her eye scanning another room as she continued her search, "Numbani was devastated. I know you're not like the others of Talon. I know you tried to help people before. You can help again. I appeal to your better nature."

"My what?" Natalie laughed quietly. "You think too highly of me, Amari."

She heard the crackle and whirled when Natalie was suddenly behind her, swinging her taser staff with a wide grin on her face. She rolled, ducked beneath a hole in the floor and Natalie watched her go.

"I was one of the FEW CHILDREN who survived!" Natalie growled, jumping down the hole after her. She landed in a kitchen, scanning her surroundings. "And you turned your back to the suffering of MY PEOPLE. Because they were doing things deemed illegal, they deserved to die, right? You chose who was worthy to live and you call ME a TERRORIST?"

She cracked her staff against the wall when she saw a shadow, thinking it was Ana. But the woman was hiding behind a shelf of old pots and pants, holding her breath. Natalie growled softly with effort, but frowned and looked around, taking a second to calm herself. She laughed quietly, running a hand through her hair.

"It isn't fair, you know. It just...isn't fair."

"Natalie, you have a choice," Ana said, "We can talk sensibly. This is the last chance you get."

"Oh, what are you going to do, hurt me?" Natalie whispered, glancing toward the shelf she was hiding behind, "Have you SEEN me, Amari?"

"Yes, and I think I know what needs to be done..."

Natalie rounded the corner with a shout and Ana aimed her dart gun at her forehead, taking a shot that dropped the other woman to the floor. She had a paralyzing dart in her head and she laid there, face slack, unable to move. Her wide eyes focused on Ana, who knelt down at her side.

"I'm sparing your life, Natalie," she said, "And I'm leaving here with one message for you and your masters."

Natalie watched her, jaw slack, groans escaping her lips. Her fingers struggled to move, but could only twitch slightly. Ana leaned over her and studied the woman sympathetically.

"What happened to De Aar..." She hesitated. "That was a regret. One of many. I tried to tell them that there were families who needed us, but I was denied. There were people who were 'worth the time' and they didn't want us to waste our resources saving the damned. As for your place in Overwatch? They denied that and I was left with no choice but to sign those papers. They gave up on you, Natalie. But I never wanted it that way."

Natalie laid there. She could do nothing but wait.

Ana smiled sadly. "If it's any consolation, I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you."

And with that, she was leaving.

Natalie could only wait there alone for an hour as the dart's effects slowly wore off. Trap Jaw eventually made his way into the kitchen and Natalie began to move her fingers. She laughed weakly, reaching up to pet the creature's jaw. Every movement took great effort, even with the dart's effect's wearing off.

"I'm alright, Trap Jaw." she told him.

Trap Jaw laid his head across her legs and made a soft, vibrating sound to calm her.

Natalie relaxed and she shut her eyes.

"I'm...alright."

O

Olivia saw her walking slowly in the alley.

Natalie didn't look hurt, but she was dragging her taser staff behind her before leaning against the wall and slumping to the floor, softly crying into her hand. She walked over, knelt down and sighed, putting her arms around her and laying her head across her shoulders.

"There you are," she said, " _Estaba preocupada_. You get him?"

A weak nod between soft crying.

"The boss will want information, though." Olivia frowned thoughtfully. She studied Natalie for a moment before leaning closer to her ear. "He can wait. Come back home with me. I'll help you feel better."

The thought had made Natalie smile only for a half of a second. She looked at her sadly, but nodded and stood up, following Olivia home.

She kept true to her promise and the pair laid in bed together, staring up at the ceiling before Natalie sat up and leaned against the wall. Olivia did the same and she smiled at her. Natalie looked a little better now, but still thoughtful as she watched her hand.

"Lethabo had helped me with my memories, but...he's gone now," Natalie said, quietly, "And this new face..."

Olivia nodded her head. "I think it ties with that conspiracy I discovered a long time ago."

"Conspiracy?" Natalie looked at her.

Olivia straightened a little beneath the sheets, reached up with one hand and produced a series of images of various figures of power, a red eye and long screens of data.

"Something controls the world, controls all of us," Olivia explained, "I saw it when I was young, before I became Sombra. That's why I had to hide away for a while, but I think this thing that attacked the Omnics is the same thing that attacked me."

Natalie's brow furrowed in thought. Then, she looked at her briefly and a strange look came to her face.

"I saw her. Ana Amari."

Now it was Olivia's turn to look surprised. "What? Really?"

"We fought a little," Natalie explained, stroking the metal of her replacement hand. "She used one of her paralyzing darts on me. I thought she was going to kill me."

Olivia thought about that. Ana Amari wasn't known for her sympathy toward terrorists - and Natalie certainly qualified as one in their eyes.

"She told me what happened with De Aar and why Overwatch refused to help us," Natalie sounded tired, "I don't know if she was hiding the truth, trying to save face or..." She sighed, shut her eyes. "She told me she still felt as if I were a good person. What do you think?"

Olivia laughed quietly, staring at her strangely. "You are a good person, _querida_. In fact, I always thought you were too good for Talon."

"Hm." Natalie shut her eyes and laid back in the bed. She held her hand up and studied the metal arm with a sad smile. "They saved me, you know. I had no one else."

Olivia felt herself asking it anyway, even though she knew this wasn't the time or the mood for it.

"But if you could leave, would you?"

Natalie frowned. "What?"

"Leave Talon when we learn and stop this thing." Olivia smiled a little, hoping. "Come on, Nat. Would you leave them?"

Natalie shook her head. "I won't leave them. It'd be a waste."

"Why would it be a waste?"

"Because I have work. They gave me work and a purpose. Why would I throw that away?"

"It wouldn't be!"

Olivia didn't expect Natalie to argue with her on this. She expected her to at least hear her out a little, but the other woman looked angry. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up right now, especially after she'd lost Lethabo and killed Adam.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Natalie said, her tone a frustrated bite.

Olivia sighed, throwing her hands in the air. " _Sí lo que sea_. I'm gonna get a shower."

She stood up, walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Natalie laid in the bed alone, stared down at her hand and sighed, shutting her eyes.

She wanted to be with Olivia. Always.

But she didn't know what to do.

Natalie's eyes began to fill.

She knew her mother would know what she had to do.

_Be happy. Whatever you decide._


	8. Espero Por Ti Todavía

~O~

Natalie received word about the new mission when she arrived at the Rialto facility. She noticed Olivia talking with Moira and waited until they were done before she would approach. Olivia was studying her machine pistol for a moment when Natalie walked up and put her arms around her. She laughed quietly, but her tone was careful as she patted Natalie's cheek with one hand.

" _Buenos días cariño._ " she said.

"I'm sorry." Natalie told her.

Olivia's smile disappeared slightly.

"I shouldn't have said those things to you," Natalie continued, sadly, "I was angry about a lot of things, but I wasn't angry at you. I hope you know that."

Olivia tried to play off the discomfort with a small laugh. "Hey, you say what's on your mind. Just one of the things I like about you, Nat."

She turned and her smile disappeared when she saw the guilt on Natalie's face; the shame of her words was there and Olivia really didn't know what to say to make her feel better. She felt uncertain about the future if it came to finding this threat and ending him. She didn't know if Natalie would leave with her.

"Don't worry about it right now," Olivia told her. "We'll deal with it when it happens. Cool?"

Natalie nodded her head, but still looked doubtful.

Moira was watching them from her place at a table where she studied readouts of data. She glanced up only for a second before she was reminded of Angela Ziegler.

It had really been simpler back then.

Olivia put her arm around Natalie's waist and she began to chat about their mission. It was a good enough distraction that made Natalie feel more at ease.

They would be fine, at least.

O

The gunshot froze Natalie in place.

The snow around her went ignored.

She could see Talon troopers fighting with the soldiers in the hills, could smell the blood in the crisp air. She couldn't hear Olivia yelling for her somewhere. Trap Jaw was diving for a soldier charging at her, but she didn't hear it happen. She didn't move.

It was a simple mission - Olivia would retrieve the data of the artificial intelligence units developed in history and the troopers would take out the soldiers protecting the facility that hid the data. But it had changed so quickly, almost as if someone had warned them they were coming.

_Move, you fool._

_Why won't you move?_

The force of a cannon blast struck her nearby and she felt her world spinning. She saw Olivia reappear and disappear through the crowds of soldiers, rushing for her as fast as she could. She was shouting, jumping to get to her, but Natalie was already falling over the edge of the cliff.

Olivia jumped, grabbed her wrist in one hand before clutching the remnants of a drop-ship wing in the other. They hung there, over a chasm above a rushing, icy cold river.

"Shit! Shit!" Olivia spat out, " _Hijo de puta._ "

Natalie groaned, reaching for her taser staff. She swung it into the hill, trying to find some leverage, but she lost her grip in the ice and the weapon plunged into the rushing waters below. She looked down with a hiss of frustration and looked up at Olivia.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled, "I'm so sorry!"

Olivia groaned, struggling to pull them up. "Apologize later!" she yelled back.

Natalie's metal hand was slipping out of Olivia's grip. Her eyes widened in horror and she looked back down, then back up to Olivia. The other woman read the look on her face and she scowled now, shaking her head rapidly.

"No, don't you think about it!"

"Olivia, we're both going to fall..." Natalie whispered now.

" _Lunática_! Just be quiet! I need to think and I can't when you're talking crazy!"

"I don't want you to die. You have to let go!"

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE EITHER, IDIOT!"

It was the first time that Natalie had seen Olivia like this; emotional, open and desperate. It wasn't like when she'd been carried away after she nearly died in King's Row. Natalie was witnessing the woman she used to be before she was Sombra. She was seeing her for the first time.

 _Olivia. You're special to me. More than anything_ , she thought, closing her eyes, _But we'll both die here. I'm too heavy and no one will find us. You have to let go. It'll be easy. You've done it before._

"Olivia..." Natalie said, with a sad, peaceful smile. "It'll be alright, _my liewe._ "

Her hand opened up; the plates spread out from the wrist unit Olivia had given her and she was forced to release Natalie's hand. She was sent plummeting into the chilling waters below, leaving Olivia hanging there, frozen and horrified.

She was constantly aware. Always ahead of everyone.

But she didn't feel herself pulled up by a trooper.

O

They were searching for her.

Natalie was nowhere to be found.

Olivia was still stunned, her throat tightening.

This was a feeling she'd known when she realized how important Natalie had been to her. When she had almost lost her before. And so she continued to look for her through the snow and ice. She didn't go back to her base to look for the thing she'd spent her whole life searching for.

Right now, finding Natalie was what mattered.

"Natalie!" a trooper yelled, over the roar of the water.

Trap Jaw was sniffing around a spot near the water and Olivia caught the sight. She made her way over to the mechanical creature, knelt down and tilted her head.

"Natalie. Do you know where she is?" she asked, her voice harsher than she wanted. "She's alive, right?"

She had to know.

She HAD to know.

Trap Jaw grunted, sniffed a few more before he curled up in the snow and laid his head down, softly growling. Olivia's heart sank at the sight. What did that mean? Was she dead?

No, she couldn't be dead.

She couldn't.

While Talon continued their search, Natalie's body had drifted further and further down the river until she was laying against an old tree. She was approached by someone who looked down at the battered, unconscious woman for a few moments.

"Oh, what happened to you?" The voice was sympathetic. Warm and comforting.

A metal hand reached down to test her pulse at her neck before scooping her up and carrying her away. Natalie felt herself drifting in and out of reality. She felt so cold, but the hands that carried her were warm, despite the metal of them. An Omnic?

"Lethabo..." she mumbled, her voice weak and hoarse.

O

"She's weak and she has a few scrapes and bruises from the fall. She has a fever and a touch of pneumonia, but if you take proper care of her, she'll survive."

"I'm glad to hear it. Amanthi, you will take good care of her."

"Of course, Zenyatta."

Natalie groaned softly. She felt warmth from a fire and looked toward a hearth. A few Omnics were standing there, dressed in robes. She could see one reach for her and she leaned her face away, hiding her scars from the Omnic. The hand paused and there was a sigh.

"You poor dear. Don't worry. We won't hurt you." A female Omnic. "You've been damaged before. I see the augments to your body... Oh, the bones in your arm and leg were destroyed here..."

Natalie didn't like the reminder of being trapped beneath the rubble... The memories were long ago, but so fresh and new whenever it was discussed.

"Master?"

"Ah, Genji. Good morning."

"Why are we helping her? She's with Talon."

"I know."

"She cannot be trusted. She cannot be helped. You know the things she's done. We've been trying to - "

"I don't believe that. She isn't without hope, Genji." Zenyatta was talking. He sounded so certain, his voice so calm and soothing. "I believed in you. I think we should believe in her."

Natalie was aware of the man with them; a cybernetic man with the voice of a human.

Genji.

Zenyatta.

Amanthi.

Those were the names of those in the room with her - a female Omnic, a cybernetic human and a male Omnic. Were they friends? Were they enemies? She didn't know right now. She just felt weak, feverish and cold. She couldn't stop shaking.

Olivia...

All Natalie could think about was her now. It was comforting, thinking of the woman she cared so much about and that was what relaxed her. Her mind was soothed, her body ceasing its shakes. She didn't know what they were talking about now, but she was able to calm herself and find sleep.

Natalie wasn't aware of the time that passed. She noticed when the female Omnic - Amanthi - came in to check on her, change her bed-sheets and left with some food. Natalie didn't mind the warm broth and it was helping her feel better. It tasted strange, but she was hungry, so she forced it down.

When she was strong enough to focus on her surroundings, she was able to get a good look at the Omnic Zenyatta when he walked into her room. He watched as she sat up and offered a hand in greeting.

"Good morning," he said. "I'm glad to see you well."

Natalie hesitated before taking the hand to shake. She didn't answer and Zenyatta turned his attention to the empty bowl sitting on a table where Natalie had placed it.

"How did you come to fall?" he asked.

When she didn't respond, he spoke in Afrikaans now.

" _Hoe het jy geval?_ "

Natalie blinked sharply up at him now. "You speak Afrikaans?"

Zenyatta chuckled warmly. "I am one of the few Omnics enlightened in the languages of the world." he explained, "I can speak my share of human word. I find that works wonders when I seek to help those who need it. Wherever my path takes me, that is."

Amanthi walked inside as well. She was dressed in the same robes as he was, but she was covered in patterns that resembled tattoos. Natalie found the markings to be interesting. But she was still cautious about her saviors and unsure of where she was.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You are here among the Shambali," Zenyatta explained, "Banzan found you on the river's edge and brought you here to us."

Natalie's eyes widened; she was astonished. "The Shambali?"

"That's right."

Natalie smiled, amazed to be here among the monastery where Omnics and humans made their home for equality. She was familiar with their practices and admired them for it. But she never believed she'd ever be here among them. It truly was an honor.

"Can you walk?" Zenyatta asked.

"I think so." Natalie replied.

She slowly rose to her feet, wincing at the sharp pain in her side and back. Amanthi held up a calming hand and gestured to Zenyatta.

"I'll tend to her." she assured him, "We will meet you in the temple shortly."

"Of course." Zenyatta nodded once and left the room with Genji.

Amanthi looked at Natalie and studied her; her wet coat and shirt had to be removed and was done so by a few other female Omnics when they brought her here. They had also tended to a slash Natalie had suffered from the rocks in the river.

"I'll need to tend to your bandage, if you don't mind," she told her.

Natalie nodded. "Alright."

"Hold out your arms and turn around, please."

Natalie did so, slowly holding out her arms and turning. When she did, Amanthi reacted with a quiet gasp at the sight of the scars on her back. She barely noticed the bandage and instead, hesitantly approached. She couldn't help her curiosity.

"Those scars..." she said.

Natalie glanced back at her, then shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, yes. I had those a long time ago."

"Who did that to you?"

Natalie swallowed thickly, refusing to look at the Omnic. Talking about it made her throat feel hot. "There was an attack in King's Row. I almost died from it." She glanced back at her briefly. "Ancient history for some. But it felt like it happened yesterday."

Amanthi reached out with two hands, unable to stop herself; but the moment she touched one of the scars, Natalie immediately whirled and seized her wrist tightly. It drew a startled noise from the Omnic, who looked up at her with wide optics. Natalie glanced down, her features twisting briefly before she took a calming breath. She looked at her hand closed around the Omnic's wrist, her eyes brimming.

"Don't. Please." she said, taking great effort to speak.

Amanthi nodded after a moment. "Alright..."

Natalie released her and turned her back on her once more.

"Is it...alright for me to take care of this?" the Omnic asked, softly.

"Yes."

"I'll be gentle. You have my word."

Natalie and Amanthi spoke no further on the subject and it was clear she wouldn't pry again.

O

Zenyatta was kneeling in the monastery when Natalie approached him, wearing clean robes as her own clothes were drying and being washed. He stood up and made a thoughtful noise when he saw her condition. It was clear the robes suited her.

"Ah, Natalie," he said, "I'm happy to have the chance to talk to you. Come. Walk with me."

Natalie noticed Genji kneeling nearby in prayer. She furrowed her brow and followed Zenyatta outside, still watching him. She followed the Omnic out into a grand courtyard and was amazed by the statues of floating Omnics, various banners and grand structures.

"Tell me about the Shambali teachings," she said, "I've heard of your group, but I never dreamed I'd be standing here among you."

Zenyatta answered without hesitation. "We preach unity and equality for all. This place is meant for spiritual awakening not just for Omnics, but humans as well. Once it had been led under my brother, Tekhartha Mondatta. He taught us all that we are one within the Iris. We believe...negative actions are the cause of suffering and pain. So, therefore, within monastery walls...nothing is ever killed and everything is cherished."

Natalie was fascinated. She couldn't help herself.

"You are a friend to our kind," Zenyatta continued, "Yet you are distant with your own."

Natalie exhaled, staring down at her hands. "Maybe so. I always lose people close to me. It's always hard. It always has been."

"Sometimes we need to lose something before we can understand its value." Zenyatta took a seat on a bench and gestured for her to join him. She did and he reached out with two hands. "May I?"

Natalie reluctantly held out her hands - flesh and metal - and Zenyatta took them in his. He studied her hands for a long time, looking for something she clearly could not see. She tilted her head, wondering what was going through his mind right now. Was he repulsed?

"Your hands give life to machines," he said, "You take pride in your creations. You love them. But these hands not only create, they destroy."

Natalie quickly pulled her hands away, somehow feeling a sting at those words; how were they so pleasant, yet carry the full weight of the world on them? Zenyatta looked at her for a moment before sighing.

"I know about the death of Adam, the human from your home," he continued, "I also know that you are someone who delights in the killing others."

Natalie frowned now. "Are you going to judge me for that?" she snapped, "I don't need to hear a speech about the differences between what's right and wrong!"

He shook his head. "No. I know you see yourself as a monster. I noticed the way you hide your face. But I don't think you believe yourself to be a monster for killing him. You feel like a monster for enjoying it."

"How do you know these things?"

"We may live here away from the world, but it always reaches us," Zenyatta explained, watching her shut her eyes and swallow thickly, "That is what the Iris is. We are open to vast reaches of the universe that ties us together. We know when we are needed and we know when someone needs help."

Natalie stood up. She didn't want to talk about it. It made her chest constrict. "I need to get back." When he started to argue, she glared at him now. "With all due respect, I don't need a sermon from you and I don't need advice. I need to get home so that I can - "

"Natalie," Zenyatta interrupted. "You need help. There is chaos in your soul. I want to help you find your peace, but you must find it for yourself. You must acknowledge the feelings you have for what you endured."

Natalie continued to glare. "I have plenty of feelings. I'm angry."

"No. Not anger. Pain." When her features smoothed out, he continued. "Suffering can bear much pain, but when it becomes trapped, it will blossom into rage. Anger will not heal that pain. It will only fester until it creates a sickness in you."

Natalie didn't argue with him. She didn't know what to say or do.

"Come."

Natalie hesitated before following Zenyatta through the courtyard. She didn't know where he was going or what he had planned, but she followed. She didn't know why. Maybe a part of her wanted to talk to someone about what lurked in her mind. She didn't want to burden Olivia with it. She cared about her too much for that.

Olivia. She hoped she was okay. She worried the other woman would do something insane.

Natalie was guilt-ridden now when she considered what had happened; she dropped herself into the water to save her. But now, her mind began to wander to the idea that maybe she'd wanted it - the death that would come with her fall. Maybe she just wanted it to be over.

"My mother would be ashamed of me..." she said, before she could stop herself.

Zenyatta tilted his head, leading her into a chamber where a pedestal stood in the center. There was a small device sitting there on a cushion. It looked like a relay stick used for bearing a flame. Natalie studied it curiously, running her fingertips over the device. It had spaces where fingers were meant for.

"Your mother. What became of her?"

Natalie was surprised by the question, but felt herself answering. She wanted to talk about it to anyone. In truth, it still plagued her mind. She still missed Sasha and felt so utterly lost without her love and advice.

"My mother was a beautiful woman," she began, with a sad smile, "Whenever I watched her get dressed before we left, I thought she looked like a queen."

A memory filled her head.

A simpler time when she was little and her mother hadn't been kept in a wheelchair. They were laughing together in that memory as Natalie walked around the room, wearing her father's shoes and tie.

"She died of cancer a while back," Natalie continued to explain, her eyes wet. She wiped them on her palm and tried to play it off. "It wasn't fair."

"Death is not fair to anyone," Zenyatta replied, his voice gentle, "But still we must live our lives." He paused. "What of your father?"

Natalie sneered at the mention of her father. "My father?" she whispered, coldly, " _Hy was 'n lafaard_. He ran from the Omnics when they came and left us alone to suffer. The only true father I've ever known was..."

Zenyatta watched her cut herself off and nodded once. He understood that she'd found a family among Omnic kind and had lost him - the Omnic named Lethabo. He had known about Numbani and the rise of an unseen foe who threatened them. He knew what that would mean for the future. But for now, he would concentrate on the present. And to her. He believed she was here for a reason.

Natalie swallowed thickly. She didn't respond for a moment and instead, looked at the relay on the pedestal. "What is this thing, anyway?"

"This is the Torch of Truth." Zenyatta explained, "Its purpose is to ignite when touched by Omnics. It's fed by emotions. But with your augments, your replacements, it will react to you."

Natalie frowned thoughtfully. "What purpose does that serve?"

"Well...it only ignites when there is great pain. Do you feel like a wager? Natalie? If you ignite the torch, you stay and I help you heal." Zenyatta gestured to the doors behind them. "But if it doesn't, I will admit to being wrong about everything and you can leave whenever you'd like."

Natalie sighed impatiently. "Really. You feel that I will light that torch?"

"I know you will."

She scoffed, rolled her eyes. But she argued with him no further and took hold of the torch.

"Now think of the things that happened to you," Zenyatta told her, "Think of how it had made you feel. Do you feel anything from it?"

Natalie didn't know what she would do about this; she felt angry, that was true.

But then, her mind wandered to the people she'd lost in the attack from King's Row; to Lethabo who had tried to help her. The ones she'd killed to avenge them... It hadn't brought her any peace. She felt a sensation of joy as Zenyatta had said. To take back that control she'd lost.

But afterwards, it left her empty. Broken.

Natalie started to give out several shuddering breathing sounds when the torch started to flicker with red flame. Zenyatta said nothing as he watched it happen. The fire began to grow in Natalie's hands and she smiled sorrowfully, tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

"Hmm..." Zenyatta's voice was comforting. He set a hand over Natalie's. "I'll prepare some tea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's ending is inspired by the song "A Tale of Moon" by Chica.


	9. Onmin

~O~

Martin was tending to Olivia's arm.

She was quiet today and stared ahead while he worked on bandaging her wrist. He found that to be a little unnerving for some reason; she was always predictable in that sense, but now? He had no idea what was going through her head now that Natalie was gone. They'd searched for two days now and came up with nothing. Talon resources wouldn't be wasted forever on a search for one person. That was how it went.

"No signs of her?" he asked, hesitantly.

Olivia shook her head. "Not yet. But I'm still looking."

Martin smiled a little. "I know. You never give up. I don't think Natalie would want you to, either." He hesitated and looked beyond her shoulder toward the door. "They won't look forever."

"I know. If you're going to give me a speech, doc..."

"No. But it's a shame that it happened," Martin continued, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. "You were able to get the information Talon wanted, but - "

"That's just it," Olivia laughed dryly, shaking her head, "I got the information. I should have been happy with that. But...all I could think about was her. I didn't even look at it since I got it."

"It's because you care about her. There's nothing wrong with that."

Olivia gave a short laugh, lowering her eyes. She didn't look at him.

"She's the only one you've cared about other than yourself." Martin straightened a little and sighed. "You know, I know strictly speaking, we've never been friends. But I hope that under the circumstances, you'll be able to speak to me if this search proves futile."

Olivia looked at him now and stood up, giving him a caustic laugh. "Hey, I don't need my head examined, _viejo_. I'm doing just fine."

Martin made a face, watching as she left the room.

What a shame.

Olivia was aware of Natalie's loyalty to Talon; they'd given her purpose, a home and a life for herself. Most had turned her away and laughed at her for her inventions. It would be hard for anyone to shake that kind of loyalty. But she had to know that she was just a tool to them. And if she vanished, they would not cry for her.

It was hurting again.

Why did she do this to herself?

O

Natalie walked into the stables that morning and noticed a few horses eating in their pens. Feeding them was a human woman who looked to be much older than Natalie. She was surprised to see another human here in a mostly Omnic monastery.

"Hello?" Natalie said.

The woman jumped in astonishment, then turned and smiled at her. She was wearing simple farm clothes, had short black hair and soft green eyes.

"Ah! Good morning!" she said, "I'm Grace. I work the stables here. I had heard we had a new visitor!"

Natalie looked at one of the horses and reached out, but hesitated.

"It's okay. He won't bite. He's older than me." Grace assured her, laughing quietly.

Natalie stroked her hand across the horse's head and she laughed a little herself. It had been a while since she'd seen a horse and one so tame.

"Most of our horses were abused by the farms they came from," Grace explained, "So I take care of them. With a little love and care, they learn to trust again."

Much like humans, really.

Natalie noticed the horse had scarred patches of skin along its sides. She recognized the marks as scars from acid splash. Someone had thrown it at the animal. It made her feel sick. She didn't understand how people could be that cruel

"I never expected to see another human here," Natalie said, trying to distract herself from the thought.

Grace started to brush the mane of the horse. "Well, humans come and go." she told her. "Most have come here for spiritual enlightenment, the same as you. But eventually, they find their way back to the places they're meant to be. For me, this has been my home for many years."

"You don't have anywhere else to go?"

"Well..." Grace gave a sad laugh. "I've never belonged much of anywhere. The Omnics welcomed me and gave me a purpose. I'm happy here."

Natalie made a thoughtful sound, nodding in agreement. She could understand.

"Your arm and leg," Grace now seemed to notice Natalie's condition. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking? Was it war?"

Natalie's smile thinned a little. "I was stationed in King's Row. People I was to do business with betrayed me and my staff. I was one of the few who survived when the facility was destroyed by a plasma grenade to the power station. You can assume how bad it was. Look at my face, after all."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Natalie found Grace to be very easy to talk to. She didn't know what compelled her to talk to the old woman about her past, but it was...nice. She decided that maybe it was better to talk.

"You know, I don't get to speak to many humans, but..." Grace looked over her shoulder at something and Natalie raised an eyebrow at her look. "Do you think you can...feel something for someone? Even if you're very, very different?"

Natalie smiled now, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't see why not."

"Mmm, that's why I found myself outcast from my own kind," Grace admitted, with a disappointed sigh, "People judge what they don't understand. I hid my feelings for a long time. But I'm old now, full of regret. I don't want to feel that way forever."

" _Moenie die lewe met berou nie._ " Natalie said.

"Hm?"

"Don't live life with regrets." Natalie translated for her. "My mother told me that once. When she was alive, all she wanted for me was my happiness."

"Your mother sounds nice."

"She was for as long as she lived. She always knew what to say. So did Lethabo, the Omnic in our home who raised me like a father should." Natalie felt herself hurting at the thought. "Such a shame I never got to tell him that. He died as well."

Grace looked at her sympathetically before she blinked, a startled look touching her face. Natalie was confused by the reaction before she looked over her shoulder and noticed Amanthi walking into the stables. The female Omnic made a happy sound when she saw Natalie.

"Ah! There you are," she said. "Forgive me for interrupting, but you are wanted in the worship halls."

Amanthi looked at Grace and the woman quickly averted her eyes, cheeks warm. Natalie caught the look and smiled a little. But she followed Amanthi and said nothing on the matter.

Grace was in love with an Omnic.

O

Natalie sat across from Zenyatta on the cool, marble floor.

She could see Genji watching her from a spot in the dark corner; he didn't trust her, that much was certain. But she didn't care what he felt about her. She was worried only about getting back to Olivia and dealing with herself. Zenyatta was a good Omnic and connecting with him felt familiar. Like she had with Lethabo.

She missed him.

He had been a fragmented image in her mind guiding her back to her memories of her past. In time, she began to recall parts of her childhood of him being there in place of her father. Lethabo had been more of a man than he had ever been and now he was dead.

"Emotions are hard, but that's why they make you strong." Zenyatta was talking and she snapped back to reality to pay attention to him. "You can learn much from them, but you don't have to let them drive you."

Natalie frowned, confused. "I don't understand."

"The only way to get passed this pain you feel is to go through it," he explained.

"What do you mean?"

Zenyatta held up one hand and several orbs swirled around is head. Natalie was surprised by them; they were golden orbs etched in Omnic language.

"I have aided many humans and Omnics alike," he explained, "They can relive their greatest pain and sin, but find a way to push passed it." He watched her uneasy expression and sought to explain. "You are believed to be a monster by some. But I think for you, it's because you've often felt powerless in your own life. Terrified of not being in control. When you kill someone, you take back that control. For a short time, anyway. But then, after it happens, it leaves you empty and you work to fullfill that need again. It's a gruesome cycle you're locked in, Natalie."

Natalie lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling stripped bare.

"Would you take the process with me? Do you want to push passed this?"

Natalie hesitated, watching the orbs as if they were deadly weapons. She didn't know.

"What happens then?" she asked.

"These orbs will place you in an induced trance," Zenyatta explained, "You will be brought into your own mind and made to relive the memories that hurt you the most. But this is the way you heal from it. To see your pain laid bare and push passed it."

Natalie wasn't sure. She felt fear clutch her chest at the thought.

But she also didn't want to feel this way any longer.

She wanted to be strong.

"I'll do it..." Natalie told him, her voice filled with unease.

"Very well." Zenyatta's hands raised up and his orbs hummed with energy, swirling around Natalie's head before they hovered there. "Relax."

Natalie shut her eyes, feeling the sensation of light and sound enter her body. It was a feeling she'd never experienced before; it was almost comforting.

She wanted to sleep.

"My voice will be here with you, Natalie," Zenyatta assured her, when she felt her vision dimming. "When you feel yourself unable to deal with what you see, I will pull you out."

That was reassuring somehow.

O

Thunderstorms.

Natalie blinked, waking up on the street outside of De Aar's town gates. Her eyes widened in astonishment and she looked around. The world looked the same, but the skies were black, thunder rumbling in the clouds, lightning flashing through the skies. The roads around the facility stretched far and wide until they broke away in pieces, leading to a bottomless void.

" _This is your mind, Natalie,_ " Zenyatta's voice filled the air - it sounded so far away. " _Broken fragments of memory from your accident. But still...they exist. They remember, even if you don't._ "

"And the thunderstorms?" Natalie questioned. "I don't remember it raining that day."

" _It's your fear, Natalie,_ " Zenyatta explained, " _You're mind is responding to your association with this memory. You're scared._ " A pause. " _That's alright, Natalie. It's okay to be afraid._ "

Natalie swallowed thickly before she turned to the gates of De Aar. She reached out, hesitated once before listening to the roar of an Omnic drop-ship pass overhead. She could hear the sounds of screams and cries from the other side of the gates.

She stepped through a broken crack and her eyes widened at the sight of destruction; people weakly crawling out of rubble, bloodied dead lying in piles around her. She could even smell the fire, taste the blood on her tongue. It made her sick.

"Help..." Voices called around her in haunting notes. "Someone... Anyone..."

Natalie balked at the sight of herself as a child, struggling to pull her mother from rubble. She swallowed thickly, watching the memory unfold and unable to move.

"Mama..." Child Natalie begged, tear-stricken as she pulled at Sasha's arms. "I got you! I got you, mama."

Past Sasha was delirious from the pain, moaning softly. Her face was horribly burned and oozing with blood. "Natalie, you have to go. My legs are crushed. I can't..."

"No!" Child Natalie shrieked.

Natalie blinked tearfully, lowering her eyes.

" _You were a child, Natalie._ " Zenyatta reminded her. " _You could only do so much. But the little you did, it was enough to save her life._ "

Child Natalie rolled Sasha onto her side before struggling to guide her onto a piece of roof. She worked quickly to tie rope around her mother so it gave her a bit of aid in carrying her across the desert. Natalie stepped aside, throat tightening as she watched her Child Self begin her journey out of De Aar to find help.

"Help! Someone, help us...please..." Child Natalie begged, face streaked with dirt and tears. She called into the night, but no one could be seen except for the lifeless bodies around her. "Please, my mama needs help!"

She stumbled a little and fell to the ground. Natalie flinched at the sight. Child Natalie sat down, looked at the heels of her feet and whimpered in pain.

"Why won't anyone help?" Child Natalie began to cry.

"Natalie..." Past Sasha was weak, reaching out for her daughter. "It's okay. Come here."

The sounds made Natalie's eyes fill and she blinked, stunned to see a reflection of Lethabo running toward the memory of herself and Sasha. Child Natalie looked frightened at first, but he assured her with soothing sounds.

"Shhh," he soothed, "It's okay, _kleinding_. I have you. You're going to be okay."

"My mama, help her..." Child Natalie begged.

Lethabo looked down at Sasha, easily scooping her up in his arms and carrying her away with Natalie tailing behind him.

"Don't worry. We'll get her help."

The memory unfolded and Natalie watched the road disappear in fragments of stone before reforming into a scene at the hospital. She saw herself embracing Lethabo and thanking him, who had knelt down at her level. He was stunned by the embrace and reluctantly returned it.

" _He was afraid to comfort you_ ," Zenyatta explained, " _He was an Omnic, a member of those who had done this to you and your home. But he appreciated the gesture. He doesn't know much human kindness but for his master. He wanted to give that back._ "

Natalie watched the memory with a tearful smile.

" _But he had to leave,_ " Zenyatta continued, " _He had to run. The humans would have hurt him, maybe even killed him. They hated what they didn't understand._ "

Child Natalie observed Lethabo jumping from the hospital window and running away into the darkness, avoiding being seen by humans.

"Why...?" Past Sasha groaned, laying in bed, bandaged and disoriented from the pain. "Why didn't they help us?"

Child Natalie climbed into the bed with her, holding her tightly and refusing to let go.

" _And that is what sparked your doubts for your fellow humans,_ " Zenyatta's words were calming in the memories. " _That single act of kindness from Lethabo earned your respect for our kind, but it earned contempt for yours. Where were the humans who promised you aid?_ "

"We..." Natalie hesitated to answer for a second. "We were a haven for terrorism, illegal trade. I wasn't aware of it. Not at first. Maybe I didn't want to see it."

Zenyatta sounded pleased. " _And that is the answer, Natalie. You didn't see the truth because you didn't want to see the truth_."

The memory unfolded the same way and Natalie saw fragments of her life playing out around her as she walked through an endless void. They were floating on pieces of rock, carried out like stilled television images.

" _All your life, you've worked to do good_ ," Zenyatta continued, " _You've tried hard to connect with your fellow man, but you only found peace in machines. Distrust has hindered you for years, but you found comfort in that. You were safe. Your mother was safe. Your routine was familiar and so, it remained that way for a long, long time._ "

Natalie saw the memory she had of meeting with Akande. He was smiling at her, welcoming and friendly. He was respecting her when he spoke, he looked her in the eye. He admired her work. Natalie had never received such respect before.

" _You wanted respect and admiration, and you were willing to take it. No matter the cost._ "

It was true.

" _But then, fate handed you something new. Someone in your path gave you much more._ "

Natalie smiled sadly as she watched a memory of herself and Olivia as they sat together on the fountain in Dorado; they were sharing a laugh, stories and jokes. She'd never felt such a connection in a long time. It had been interesting, strange and terrifying to open herself up like that again.

" _You had everything you wanted_ ," Zenyatta said, " _But fate? It was fickle._ "

O

Natalie was standing in front of a memory of King's Row; the facility she had been stationed at at the request of Akande. This was where it had happened and she had been reduced to a broken doll and put together in a mess of flesh and metal. Why she felt so disgusting.

The lightning overhead flashed brighter.

It was raining.

Natalie looked up, feeling the ice-cold rain pelt her face. How could see experience so much in her own mind? How could she feel this?

Her heart was racing.

" _Take your time, Natalie. I can always pull you out if you're not ready._ "

Natalie shut her eyes tightly, swallowed once before shaking her head. She had to do this.

She had to.

Reaching out with one hand, hesitating briefly, she pushed her way through the door and entered the facility. She found herself standing in a pristine location as it had been before its destruction; everything was as she remembered it to be. Nothing was different.

Then, she heard the gunshot.

Natalie's heart stopped, her eyes widening in a horrified gasp.

She saw her Past Self running toward a storage room and she made her way over to see; the Talon trooper lying in a pool of his own blood, holding his chest. She could still smell the blood, even now and here. It was all flooding back to her.

"Oh, shit!" Past Natalie gasped. "What happened?"

"I... I tried to radio headquarters before they shot me down. The facility's under attack."

Natalie watched it all unfold before jolting at the sound of more gunshots. She watched her Past Self struggle to help the trooper.

"I have to help them!" she told him. "But you - "

"I'll go myself," he assured her, holding his chest with a weak sound as he leaned against several crates to support himself, "Just keep your schematics from falling into their hands. That's what they want."

Natalie didn't want to see what came next.

" _It hurts, Natalie. I can hear your breath quickening. I'm right here_."

Natalie could see her Past Self fighting the man in body armor. She saw herself shoving her taser staff in his throat, saw him fall as she helped one of her staff members.

 _No_.

 _Please. I can't watch this again_.

" _It's different now, Natalie. This time, you're not dealing with it alone._ "

Natalie saw her Past Self running to gather her schematics and she shook her head tearfully. She ran through the staff member, trying to stop them from running to their deaths, even though it was futile. She was crying, begging them not to go that way.

" _It's a memory, Natalie. These events have happened. No matter what, you can't change that. Even when you blame others for what became of you, you blame yourself just as much. But you can heal from it and to do that, you have to learn to forgive yourself._ "

Natalie sighed, exhausted. "I can't..."

" _Why not?_ "

"I don't know how to."

" _I can help you. If you only let me, Natalie. You saw it happen, that's true. But you felt you deserved this. You felt it was earned for your past misdeeds, didn't you?_ "

Natalie was now standing in the hall where the dead members of her staff were laying. She was crying, fisting her hands against her eyes.

"Oh, please..." she moaned, sobbing softly.

The memory unfolded and Natalie watched Past Olivia and Baptiste hurrying through the destruction; she was surprised. She had no memory of this. She had always known she was saved, but she never knew how desperate Olivia had been. She never saw how much emotion she had on her face.

"NAT!" Past Olivia's voice echoed throughout the building. "FUCK. NAT!"

Past Baptiste's voice piped up now. "Careful. This place could go at any second."

"Nat!"

Natalie watched her, eyes wide as they found her buried and hurried to get her free. She watched her Past Self, broken and bloody as she was gingerly carried away. She had no idea how bad it had really been when they had found her. And the look on Olivia's face...

"Don't worry, Nat. We got you. You ain't dying on me. I won't let you."

Natalie felt her heart clenching. Never had Olivia looked so raw before. Never had she looked truly afraid for her. It made everything ache more.

She should have told her.

O

" _When your body healed, your heart grew cold and empty_." Zenyatta continued to narrate as the memory of Natalie's vengeance on Phillipe began to unfold. " _You sought to fill the void with death. Your control returned and you made them afraid. But it was fruitless. Every kill availed you nothing. You simply buried the pain deep and prayed you'd forget it_."

Natalie looked at herself with each memory. The cold, murderous smiles. The elation when she stomped on a soldier's head or some other poor fool.

She didn't recognize herself.

This wasn't her. This was a stranger. An enemy.

_God...what have I become?_

A gentle sigh in her head from Zenyatta. " _You're beginning to understand, aren't you, Natalie? You see yourself as a monster because you savored everything you've done. Your physical body isn't what made you frightening to others. It was all how you chose to act. No one has power over you. You gave it to them._ "

It was true.

" _But her. That woman you love deeply. She is your saving grace. She is your anchor. There is still hope for you. You are not lost._ "

Natalie was waking back into reality and Genji calmly watched the sight of her crying, held in Zenyatta's arms. He was comforting her with his embrace and they gently swayed back and forth together.


	10. Ordinary World

~O~

Norma was surprised to see Olivia there at her doorstep.

"Ah! _Mija_ , what a surprise to see you." she said. "I didn't think you'd come back here so soon."

"Well, I need to talk to you," Olivia told her, features grave. "Natalie's been gone for three days and they're going to stop searching for her."

"What?" Norma gasped, incredulous. "What happened to her? Why has she been gone?"

Olivia walked passed her, entering the trailer before she sighed, running a hand through her hair. Norma looked at her, troubled before she noticed Olivia pacing.

"She fell," Olivia finally said, "We were doing a job and she let herself go so I could get out of there. Now, I KNOW she's not dead! She's NOT."

Norma watched her for the longest time before walking up and putting her arms around her. Olivia made a startled noise and started to recoil.

" _Estas loca_! What are you doing, _vieja_?"

"I'm hugging you."

Olivia groaned with dismay, struggling in her arms for a moment. "UGH, stop it," she protested, "You're so embarrassing. I don't need a hug, I need to find Nat!"

She squirmed for a few moments before finally relaxing, her features twisting when she thought of Natalie. This was stupid. This wasn't fair. This was what she earned for finally caring about another person other than herself. This was her reward.

She finally stopped squirming.

O

Natalie wandered into the courtyard that morning, looking for Zenyatta.

She had been there for three days, making some progress, according to the Omnic. She did, in fact, feel lighter for this new revelation and certainly better physically. After her fall, she was so sure that was the end. But these Omnics had cared for her and taken her in.

Natalie rubbed her eye and blinked a few times. It was hard to see without her monocle; she'd lost it in the fall, of course. The two changes in vision bothered her a little as well. Still, she'd have to grow used to it until she returned to Talon.

She took a seat on the steps and held up her wrist, tapping the watch so that it could play Elvis Presley's "Step On My Blue Suede Shoes". She smiled and shut her eyes, tapping her foot to the music. She was relaxed with the memories of dancing to the music with her mother. Even Olivia had danced with her a few times after some convincing that "American music wasn't so bad".

Her song attracted Banzan and Amanthi as they walked by, talking together. They made curious sounds and stopped, staring at Natalie sitting there, oblivious to their presence. Eventually, Zenyatta could make out the sound of the music and joined in. Two more also heard the music and watched Natalie.

It wasn't until after a moment that Natalie sensed the stares, rising. She looked back, eyes widening in embarrassment before she quickly shut off the music.

"I'm sorry." she said, "I didn't mean to wake anyone."

Banzan walked up to her and gestured to the device on her wrist. He tapped it once and the music resumed. He sighed with pleasure and Amanthi joined him as they began to dance in the courtyard below. Natalie watched them incredulously as several other Omnics joined in; their dances involved grand sweeps of their hands in circles, shifting of their legs and orbs dancing around their heads.

"What...are they doing?" she wondered.

"Understanding you. If you wish to know someone, walk in their shoes...or hover." Zenyatta explained, with a warm chuckle, "They are just spiritual advisers looking to enjoy themselves. Why don't you dance with them? Enjoy the music and the company."

Natalie laughed a little, embarrassed. "I'm a terrible dancer, really."

"So is Dairo. But that never stops him."

Zenyatta indicated the Omnic in the corner, who was dancing in a very sloppy manner. But he was enjoying himself and laughing. Natalie smiled at the sight. He really did seem to be having fun.

So, she walked over to them and began to dance; her same, ridiculous steps that she had done when she'd danced with her mother. It didn't draw the attention from the Omnics around her as she had expected. Instead, all of them were laughing with pleasure, engaging her with ridiculous steps as well.

It was a good feeling that came to her, then. The idea that she could be happy with Omnics, feel such peace was refreshing.

O

"I have to go back."

Zenyatta nodded his head once, watching as Natalie sat across from him at the table, taking a sip of the tea he'd offered her. He knew that she had to return to her old life to the woman she cared for. He knew her place was never permanent there.

"I understand." he replied.

Natalie looked at him with concern for a moment. "What about this...thing controlling the Omnics?" she asked. "What will that mean for all of you?"

Zenyatta sighed softly. "This foe...it's nothing we've seen before, as it's been here long before us." he explained.

"Is it a God Program?"

"No. God Programs are functional A.I. systems that control only a limited number of Omnics within a certain range. With the chaos we have heard it spread, it is clearly stronger than anything we've anticipated." Zenyatta took a sip of the oil he has sitting in front of him.

"I'll find out." Natalie promised him. "We will stop this."

"With your group of extremists?" Zenyatta sounded sad, even as he said that.

Natalie sighed, but said nothing. "I know what you're trying to say, but I have her. If there's anyone who can find out, it's Sombra."

Zenyatta nodded his head once. "Perhaps."

He rose from his place and Natalie did the same. He made his way to a closet and opened the door, gathering a fur cloak and setting it onto her shoulders. Natalie appreciated the gesture and watched as he gathered a few things in his arms before walking out of the room. She followed him.

"The way down the mountain can only be done by horse," he explained, "Banzan will take you to the village below where you can find suitable transport."

"Thank you. For everything you've done."

Natalie held out one hand and Zenyatta went to take it, but she pulled him into an embrace and he was startled at first, but chuckled softly and returned it.

"You're going to be fine, Natalie," he promised her, still holding the woman in his arms, "I know everyone gave up on you, but you can still turn yourself around and be that person you used to be. I have faith in you."

Natalie laughed a little, taken by the comment. She looked down at the stables and made her way there with Zenyatta following. Banzan and Grace were there as well, discussing something before Amanthi eventually joined. While the two began to dress the horse for her, Amanthi and Natalie were watching.

"So, you're returning, then?" Amanthi asked.

"Yes. I have someone waiting for me," Natalie told her.

Amanthi sighed quietly. "Yes, that must be wonderful. I once had someone before I became a monk here of the Shambali." she explained, "But it's true what they say about putting your heart where it isn't meant to be. The one I loved betrayed me. Such was my flaw. I grew to love human women. Most of my fellow Omnics mocked me for such feeling."

Natalie furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry."

"Well...you understand humans and their fickle nature," Amanthi glanced briefly at her. "Forgive me, I didn't intent to bore you with my life."

"No, it's alright." Natalie watched Grace at work, smiled a little and looked at the Omnic again. "But...maybe talk to Grace. I think she's got her heart right where it needs to be."

"Hm? The stable girl?" Amanthi glanced at Grace, watching her brush the horse. "Oh..." Her tone was light with curiosity. "I see."

Natalie winked at her before making her way into the stable. Grace lowered herself a little, crossed her hands in front of her so that Natalie could step on them and lift herself onto the horse. It shifted restlessly as she did and Grace laughed as Natalie struggled to hold the reins.

"Don't worry," she said, "Banzan will help you."

The larger Omnic gave a small nod of his head. "He's a bit nervous, but he'll do fine with me." he assured Natalie. "Just hold onto him and I'll take the reins."

Natalie laughed nervously, but nodded her head and patted the horse's thick neck. " _Dit gaan goed, my vriend_. We will be as one, won't we?"

Zenyatta looked up at Natalie now. " _Ek wens jou sterkte toe._ "

Natalie smiled. "And to you, my friend. Thank you for everything."

Amanthi watched as they departed the stable. Zenyatta was also going elsewhere and joined Genji for a talk. When they were out of earshot, she turned her attention to Grace, who had begun shoveling hay into the feeding troughs for the horses.

"Grace?" she questioned.

The woman jumped, her cheeks reddening. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears and smiled nervously up at the Omnic.

"Yes?" she said. "I'm sorry, I have a lot of work to do."

"Well...perhaps we could...talk?" Amanthi offered.

Grace smiled now, suddenly shy. She lowered her eyes, nodding. "Okay."

O

The trip down the mountain was absolutely frigid.

Natalie was grateful for the fur cloak that Zenyatta had offered her; she held herself tightly, keeping her hands close to her chest as she struggled for warmth. Banzan was holding the reins of the horse and walking them down the broken stone path. She cupped her hands close to her mouth, shuddering and blowing into them.

She looked down at her hands - the mismatched way about them made her stop and think about what Zenyatta had said. The moment she had reconnected with her memories shocked her senses clear; she had wandered astray, but Olivia had been the calming breeze in all of it. Even so, Natalie had tried to suppress these feelings so that it wouldn't burden her.

"You'll be fine once you reach the village," Banzan explained, "They have an inn and I can find some suitable alcohol for you to take on your trip. It will warm you up."

Natalie was silent, watching the Omnic for a moment. She opened her mouth, hesitated once more before she spoke; she wanted to know. "Banzan, why did you save me out there?"

"You needed help."

"But you knew who I was. What I was."

"I did." Banzan paused, glanced back at her. "But I knew that despite everything, you needed to be saved. This world already denies us kindness. We must be above it if we are to make any difference."

Natalie considered his words. It was true.

Her mind went to Olivia again and she felt herself worrying for her. Did she think she was dead? Did she spend time looking for her? Natalie had known she might not have survived the drop. But she did it to help her. To keep her safe and see her alive. She deserved it more than Natalie did.

The sight of smoke in the distance drew Natalie's attention and she noticed they were arriving at a small village. The people were dressed warmly for the weather and paid no mind to the sight of the two. Banzan indicated a nearby ship - that was their destination.

"This ship will take you where you need to go." Banzan explained. "It's used sometimes by Zenyatta when he's traveled the world."

Natalie stepped down fron the horse, stopped and turned to Banzan. She smiled up at him. "Thank you." she said. "For everything."

He nodded his head once. "Your welcome."

"I will find a way." Natalie promised him. "Whatever's been happening to the Omnics. I will find a way to help them. We will."

Banzan sighed softly. He took the reins of the horse. "You mean, the help of Talon." When she didn't answer, he turned to go, but paused and looked back at her. "Zenyatta was right to take a chance on you, Natalie. But you must understand something. Talon will help no one but themselves. Whatever you can do, I can only pray that you have the strength to do it alone, because they will not do it for you."

It definitely gave Natalie something to think about.

She had a feeling she would be alone in that.

Natalie stepped into the ship, eyes studying every detail; it was smaller than the drop ships of Talon, but comfortable enough for her to move around freely. She took a seat behind the main console, looking down at a monitor as it immediately lit up with various data and information.

Then, a mechanical voice filled the air - distinctly feminine. "Good afternoon. I am Karma. I am programmed to take you anywhere you need to go."

Natalie smiled a little. "Hello. Karma. I'd like to go to Rialto."

"Of course. Scanning now..."

Natalie looked up, surprised when a ray of blue light began to flash over her. It swept her up and down once. Then twice before vanishing. Karma's cheerful voice filled the air.

"Natalie Krige. Age. Thirty two." Karma listed the simple information regarding Natalie. "Oh... I am detecting abrasion damage to your right cornea. It has reduced your vision by twenty percent compared to that of your left eye."

Natalie sighed, shrugging and taking a seat in the chair. "Yes. I have scars. From an accident a long time ago."

"Oh. I see." Karma replied. "Shall we be off?"

"Yes, do you have a soldering tool? I'd like to work on my arm a little."

"There are tools and resuscitation equipment necessary for travel above you in the compartments." Karma explained, "Zenyatta insisted on having them in his travels. Help yourself!"

Natalie smiled now. "Thank you."

The engines roared to life and Natalie took a seat, sighing as she removed her coat and set it on the chair. She reached into the compartment and found a few tools necessary to work on her arm. She found a defibrillator and murmured thoughtfully, setting it aside for the moment.

O

During the trip, it was quiet in the ship as Natalie worked on soldering her arm. Karma had been quiet as well and it was only a moment before she inquired curiously.

"Would you like music?" she asked.

Natalie glanced up briefly before smiling thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind. Any classical American songs?"

"Oh, yes." Karma sounded pleased. "How partial are you to Fleetwood Mac?"

"Never heard of them. I'm more of an Elvis fan."

"Would you like to hear a song?"

Natalie saw no harm in it, so she nodded and the air was immediately filled with a pleasant beat. Natalie made a contented sound and began to tap her foot in time to it while she worked.

_And it all comes down to you_

_Well, you know that it does, well_

_Lightning strikes maybe once, maybe twice_

_Oh and it lights up the night_

_And you see you're a gypsy_

_You see you're a gypsy…_

Natalie glanced up at the console with a thoughtful note. "Who sings this?"

"Stevie Nicks." Karma answered. "When I was still an Omnic, I used to enjoy American music as well. I had a human friend who loved her."

"Oh. Wait..." Natalie tilted her head. " _Wat bedoel jy_?"

"My body was destroyed during the Omnic Crisis." Karma explained, "I was trying to save my friend from an explosion and I...couldn't be saved. So she devised a plan to save my mind and she placed it into her ship. This was the result."

Natalie furrowed her brow. "I'm so sorry."

"Mmm, it's alright." Karma replied, "I do get lonely sometimes, but it's nice when Zenyatta comes down from the monastery to talk to me. He's a good one. He told me about you as well."

"Ah." Natalie laughed a little, uncertain about just what Zenyatta had told her. She didn't ask, but resumed the work on her hand.

"What are you doing with that defibrillator, if you don't mind me asking?" It seemed Karma would not discuss the matter of Natalie and her history, and instead, was curious about Natalie soldering parts together on her hand.

"Well..." Natalie straightened where she sat a little. "Since my taser staff was lost in the fall, I thought I'd get a little creative." She smiled with pride and raised her hand, discharging a few snaps of electricity in her palm to emphasize her point.

"Oh my. So the infamous Toymaker of Talon lives up to her name." Karma chuckled.

Natalie's smile thinned and she lowered her hand.

"He says you're good - a friend to our kind," Karma continued, softer and hesitantly. "He has faith in you. He believes you will see the light."

Natalie sighed quietly through her nose. She said nothing, but her heart clenched tightly at the words from the machine.

"We will be arriving at your destination shortly, but I must warn you, I will need to land us away from the city."

Natalie looked troubled. "Why?"

"You were gone for a few days." Karma's voice was soft again, unsettled. "Things have changed after the incident in Numbani. The humans are afraid. Talks of a new Omnic Crisis is in the air. There have been so many deaths to Omnic kind thus far."

Natalie looked horrified.

O

The ship landed in a junkyard.

Natalie hesitantly stepped outside and Karma's voice piped up from the ship. "Natalie? Good luck."

She gave her a weak smile and a nod in return before walking out into the junkyard. She looked around, then made out the sounds of terrified cries. Frowning, she ducked behind an overturned car and peered through the broken glass, noticing three Omnics kneeling with their hands behind their heads and two human men armed with rifles standing behind them. One of them had a replacement leg.

"Please, we didn't do anything wrong!" one of the Omnics cried.

"Doesn't matter." the human said, with a malicious smile. "We heard about Numbani. You're a threat, plain and simple and our job is to round all of you up."

"No!" another Omnic pleaded.

The third had been oddly silent, staring at the wall. When he noticed Natalie, he reacted with a small grunt of surprise. She brought her finger to her lips, gesturing for him to stay silent. He nodded his head once.

"So, are you going to make this more fun for us?" the man with the replacement leg sneered.

Natalie crept up behind him and slapped the palm of her hand against his back. A charge of electricity surged through him and he shook uncontrollably with several loud, agonized cries. His friend turned, watching in shock as the man collapsed before he raised his gun to Natalie.

She grabbed it with a fierce snarl, twisting the muzzle with her metal hand enough that he was horrified, watching the sight of the weapon buckle in her grip. The Omnics watched as they fought one another; blows were exchanged before Natalie had the upper hand, wrapping her metal arm around his throat.

They thrashed around, Natalie refusing to release him. She pursed her lips with effort, looking away as she fought to keep her arm closed around his neck. In a swift jerk, she snapped it and he collapsed limply to the ground.

The Omnics continued to kneel there, stunned to silence. Natalie looked down at the men and then helped the Omnics stand.

"Are you okay?" she asked them.

One of the Omnics nodded. "Thank you. But why did you help us?"

"Because you needed it." Natalie said, frowning. "Now, tell me, what's been going on?"

"Ever since the attack in Numbani, humans have grown paranoid about our kind," the quiet Omnic had finally said, "Of course, this has never been anything new, but after that incident, Omnics have been dying."

"And my friend!" the last Omnic spoke now. He looked at Natalie, desperation in his voice. "He's hiding away in that warehouse!" He pointed toward a nearby building. "One of the humans went inside. He's unarmed. He's going to kill him!"

The unconscious man at Natalie's feet stirred with a groan. She glared down at him before stomping on his head with her heel. She looked up at the worried Omnic and then, to the warehouse.

"Don't worry. I'll find him for you." she assured him.

"You're crazy going in there by yourself!"

Natalie chuckled now. "I know."

O

She was quiet, holding her breath as she made her way through the warehouse.

The Omnics had told her the name of their friend - Enzo. He was blind and relied solely on sound around him to "see". He was nervous and easily frightened. Natalie would most likely have a difficult time trying to calm him when she found him.

"Alright, Enzo..." she whispered, to herself, "Where are you?"

She passed a nearby office, but ducked out of sight when she heard footsteps. She hid behind a scrapped car and noticed a man passing by a conveyor belt, armed with a rifle and looking around. He seemed tense, angry and certainly willing to shoot any Omnic in sight.

She could easily kill him, even without her toys. But the goal was to find Enzo first. She didn't want to risk his life any more than necessary.

Natalie crept her way into the office nearby, stepped into a hallway and looked up sharply at the sound of a whimper in a nearby conference room. She stepped into it, then ducked, narrowly missing the swing of a piece of metal near her face.

Enzo was standing there - an Omnic in a black coat and cargo pants with no optics, wielding the metal piece over his head. Several angry, frightened sounds escaped him.

"I won't go out without a fight!" he snarled.

"Wait, I'm a friend!" Natalie whispered, fiercely. "I won't hurt you."

Enzo lowered the metal piece slightly, confusion in his voice. "Wait, what? Who are you?"

"Your friends are outside hiding," Natalie explained, dropping her voice so the man hunting him wouldn't hear, "Come on. Let's get you to them before he finds you."

"I already have." The man stepped into the room with a sinister smile on his face, gun pointed at the Omnic at her side. "You really think I didn't hear you out there? Toymaker?"

Natalie raised her arm in front of Enzo and calmly regarded him. She thought about Zenyatta's words and thought about what it meant to do good again. She really wanted to give that a chance.

"They're dead, you know." she told him. "But you don't have to be next. You can go home to your family. This doesn't have to get ugly. You can leave the Omnics alone."

The man scowled, jerking the gun toward her. "No. Omnics are threatening us. Threatening humans. And you're seriously going to stand there and fight for them? They're not even fucking alive!"

"Let us leave and we will cause you no further trouble." Natalie was trying to be civil. But her patience was being tested and she thinned her lips.

" _Vaffanculo._ " The man set his jaw, loaded the weapon with the fullest intent to use it. "I have no problems killing these things and their sympathizers if I have to! I know what's happened in Numbani! It will not happen here!" He hissed out his next word in Italian.

Natalie sighed, hung her shoulders. "I tried to be civil with you, I really did. Out of respect for the one who tried to help me see the light." she whispered, her voice shaking out of her. "But I see that there is no convincing you. _Stom moroon._ " Her metal fist clenched tightly. "You get what you deserve."

He squeezed the trigger, but Natalie backhanded his weapon arm, feeling a surge of strength she'd never felt before. The sound of the weapon echoed in her ear, her heart hammering wildly in her chest.

She was afraid.

The sound stole the breath from her lungs, but she was fueled with a rush of adrenaline; Enzo was frantically pacing behind them, swinging the metal piece blindly in an effort to help her as she fought with the armed man. She grabbed his wrist that held the gun, her metal hands crushing the bones.

He screamed in pain, punched her in the mouth with his free hand. The weapon clattered to the floor and she jerked from the force of the punch, snarling with effort as her mouth shined with blood. Her metal leg kicked him in the abdomen, drawing a sharp cry from him and he doubled over.

It gave Natalie the perfect chance to throw her weight into him, knocking him to the floor so that she could shove her knee into his throat. He struggled and kicked his legs out and she watched him coldly as he tried hard to breathe. It was much more difficult to do this without her toys to finish it quickly.

But it was done when he slowly ceased his struggles and went limp beneath her.

Enzo was still shaking behind her, holding that metal piece in his hands. He dropped it with a gasp and Natalie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, hissing sharply in pain before she rose. She reached out and took his hand.

"Come on. Let's go."


End file.
